When the Clock Stops Ticking
by RomanoJet
Summary: Hetalia AU. In the Land of the Goddesses, Arthur Kirkland is completely alone. What he doesn't realize, however, is that the arrival of three strange travellers in his village will change everything. He discovers knowledge that can't be gained from reading and studying; the warmth and love of a family.
1. The Beginning

_Hello, everyone! Thank you for choosing to read my story. I'll admit, it was very hard for me to muster up the courage to post it where anyone could see it... I just had an idea and it blossomed and refused to stay in my head. I deeply apologize if this story resembles anyone else's in any way, it was not my intention to steal ideas. I'm also sorry if any of the characters are OOC, but I tried my hardest to keep them in character. This note is very long, so I'll stop rambling. Oh, speaking of rambling, I do tend to do that in my writing. If anyone seems to be talking excessively, that's probably why. Also, shameless Google Translating. Ok, to the actual story!_

* * *

In Terra Deaeque, there is a legend passed down through the ages: the legend of the three Goddesses. This is how it goes...

Before Terra Deaeque, there was a plain expanse of land and ocean. There were no living things except for three Goddesses and one Great Angel. In these times long past, they soared about the land alone, endlessly existing.

The immortals felt quite bored, naturally, after several eons of this. The Great Angel, Matris Magnae, spread her rainbow coloured wings and granted her three children the power to make living things.

The Goddesses wasted no time creating nature, covering the ground in grass and trees, filling the water with gently waving sea grass. After covering the land in fresh greens, they decided to make inhabitants to enjoy it. First, they filled the oceans with swimming creatures. Afterwards, they spread many different species across the earth.

Soon, they decided that they should create beings with high intelligence. The first Goddess let her thoughts form into shapes, and soon recognizable forms appeared; she had modelled them after what she and her sisters looked like. She had created the first humans. She taught her group to be smart, but calculating; to be loyal to their friends, but knowing when it was time to save your own skin; to be trusting, but always on guard. These humans were called the Docte.

The second Goddess liked the idea of these 'humans'. She created more of them, but decided to teach them her own ways. She instructed them on being brave in the face of danger, and always putting others first. She taught them to forever protect their friends and loved ones. They were called the Fortis.

The third Goddess, not to be outdone, created her own race of humans. She filled them with fighting spirit, and taught them to always be prepared and ready to fight. This race was named the Bellator.

Finally, Matris Magnae spread her wings again. She created a much smaller group of humans, and filled them with love, kindness, friendship, loyalty, and bravery. She dubbed them the Omnes.

The Goddesses retreated high into the clouds, knowing their time on the land was done. They watched over Terra Deaeque, occasionally granting their humans gifts. The greatest gift they bestowed was companionship.

The Goddesses decided that the humans should live peacefully with the many other species on the land. Every human got a special animal companion. The animal appeared to them at a young age, and stayed with them for the rest of their lives.

The humans mated with each other, never doing so outside their own clan. They multiplied, and prospered on the land of Terra Deaeque.

The first deity, the Goddess of Wiliness, watched over her Docte.

The second one, the Goddess of Bravery, observed her Fortis.

The third, the Goddess of Fighting Spirit, oversaw her Bellator.

The Great Angel tried to care for her Omnes, but once every one hundred years, her opponent, the Shadow God, arose in the land and challenged the Goddesses. Every time this happened, the immortals chose six champions to represent them; two Fortis, one Docte, two Bellator, and one Omnes, the leader. They grant the six blessings to defeat the Shadow, who chooses one dark-hearted individual from any one of the groups, giving this one a large shadow army. The Great Angel battles the Shadow himself, but with every encounter, she grows weaker...

This is the legend of the three Goddesses. A temple stands near each town, guarded by disciples that are raised to believe the legend as truth. Two Docte guard their temple, two Fortis guard theirs, two Bellator guard theirs, and a single Omnes guards the Great Angel's temple.

What many of the humans have forgotten is that the legend _is_ true, and the hundredth year has come yet again. The shadow enemy is ready to strike once more, and the Goddesses are choosing their heroes...

* * *

The Goddess of Wiliness, named Callidum, lounged on a cloud, staring down at her Docte.

"Hmm," she mused. "Who to pick?"

"Callidum!" called an annoyed voice. "Have you chosen yet?"

The Goddess of Bravery, named Bonus, landed on the fluffy mass. She peeked over the edge. "You're still watching them?"

"Patience, sister," said Callidum lazily. She watched as two of the tiny humans got into a fight, and the humans surrounding them all left the area. One of them, however, approached the two and appeared to break the fight up. "Interesting," she muttered.

"What?" asked Bonus, distracted. "Oh look, there's Proelium."

The Goddess of Fighting Spirit swooped over. "We can't tell her until you pick, sister, so get a move on," she snapped.

"Keep your hair on," Callidum snorted. "I've picked, okay? I'll send him the dream tonight."

"Good," said Bonus, relieved. "I've spotted my two as well. They're brothers, so it's okay that we can only send one dream each."

"Agreed." Proelium nodded. "My two aren't related, but I can send the dream to one of them and influence the others' animal companion to lead her, or something. Let's find Mother."

The three Goddesses rose to their feet and flew over to the great, sparkling palace that the Great Angel lived in.

"Mother!" Proelium called. "We have chosen our champions!"

"Very good, my children."

Matris Magnae stood gracefully; she flapped her beautiful white wings and lighted down amidst the Goddesses. "I have chosen my champion as well. My dreams are fainter then yours, and the poor child has had a hard life, so I fear my diluted dream alone will not convince him, or even convey my message properly. The dreams you three send have to tell of a mysterious boy without a companion, the leader of the saviours. They will have to find him."

"Yes, Mother," chorused the three.

"Mother," began Bonus nervously. "The Shadow grows more powerful every hundred years, and you grow weaker. Will you be able to defeat him once more?"

The Great Angel's gaze grew hard. "I will try, but if I fall, my champion must take my place and defeat the Shadow once and for all, following in the footsteps of the very first champions."

The Goddesses saluted in their own ways respectfully. Callidum put her hands behind her back and bowed, Bonus put her hand on her heart and inclined her head, and Prolium crossed her arms over her chest, making an X, and bowed. Matris Magnae saluted them back by making a three clawed gesture for warding off evil over her heart.

"Go, my children!" she commanded. "Go and awaken the heroes!"

* * *

 _This is just setting up, so no Hetalia characters yet. The next chapter will, I promise. Anyway, this is going to be a long-ish fic, and the chapters will definitely be longer than this one. The updates will be random, as I have a lot going on in life right now. Feel free to drop a review telling me what you think! Arrivaderci!_


	2. Dreams

_A feeling he had never felt before. A lithe figure at his side; five shadowy faces, staring at him. Waiting for leadership, perhaps? An enemy shrouded in mystery. A sense of urgency._

" _Go! Lead them!" a voice seemed to cry. "It is your destiny!"_

Arthur Kirkland sat up with a start. He looked around the dark room, heart pounding. His dream had felt very real, so real that he still felt the urgent need to act. He tried to hold onto the dream, but the details were slipping away like water in his cupped hands. Something to do with a mission... with five other people? Arthur shook his head. He never interacted with others if he could avoid it.

He glimpsed his clock. 6 AM. _Well, might as well get up now,_ he thought ruefully.

Stretching, he pondered again about the strange dream. "No one would ever look to _me_ as a leader," he muttered. "It must have just been another stupid dream."

Staring in the mirror, he took in his appearance again. Messy golden-blond hair, vivid emerald-green eyes, large eyebrows, still really short in stature. Nothing special.

He dragged himself down the stairs and prepared himself his breakfast – a single nutrition bar. He devoured it quickly while pulling out his punching bag.

"Time for Self Defence Class!" he said to himself. "Today we are going to practise the uppercut."

Arthur lived alone, preferring the safety of the house to the rambunctious energy of the outside world. He had experienced so much misfortune as a child that he decided to live out his life by himself, where he wouldn't get close to people and have to watch them die, too.

He threw a few punches at the punching bag. He vented all of his frustration on the poor bag every day, and the red material was quite battered.

An hour later, Arthur announced, "Break time. You've done wonderfully, me."

He wasn't crazy. He knew that there was no one else there, but this was how he coped.

Soon, he pulled out a few books decorated with spiky runes and odd symbols. "Magic Class!" he proclaimed.

Opening one of the books, Arthur studied the words inside, committing them to memory. He took out some chalk and drew elaborate symbols around him, forming a circle. From a makeshift bed on his windowsill he picked up a robin with a broken wing he had found earlier. He placed it in the circle.

He began reciting the spell from the book in a low voice. The circle glowed a vibrant green, engulfing the injured bird in a swirl of colour. Arthur raised his voice to a shout, finishing the spell. The light immediately died, showing the robin completely cured.

"There you go, chap," he smiled, opening the window. "Go back to your family."

He felt a pang as the bird twittered and took off. _Family_. There was a word that he didn't use often. Not for the first time, he wished he had a special animal companion like everyone else.

"Good job," he murmured. "Class is done for the day."

* * *

Gilbert Beilschmidt opened his window quietly, a travelling bag slung over his back. He glanced behind him at his sleeping brother.

"See ya later, West," he whispered. "Take care of yourself. The awesome me will be back."

Gilbert lived with his brother, Ludwig, in the Fortis section of the town Procul. They were proud Fortis' and trained every day to uphold the family honour.

On this particular night, Gilbert had gone to bed, exhausted, only to receive a very strange dream.

" _Gilbert."_

" _Huh? Where am I?"_

" _This is your dream, Gilbert."_

 _The boy looked up to see a fair maiden standing before him. "W-who are you?" he stuttered._

 _The girl smiled. She put her hand on her heart and dipped her head. "Me? Well, it doesn't really matter, because_ you _are one of the chosen ones, Gilbert Beilschmidt_. _"_

 _Gilbert unconsciously saluted her in the same way. A thought hit him as he did so. "Wait... Are you Lady Bonus?"_

 _The Goddess giggled. "Yay, you know me!"_

 _Gilbert frantically saluted again. "My lady, forgive me! The awesome me- I mean, I- didn't mean to be so rude!"_

" _Gilbert, it's okay," Bonus smiled. "Our time is short, so I must give you my message. I take it that you have heard the legend of me and my sisters?"_

" _Yes, my lady," the albino said seriously._

" _Well, this is the hundredth year. The Shadow threatens us all, and I have chosen you and your brother as the Fortis champions. First, you must go alone, tonight, and follow the mysterious lion cub to find your greatest ally. Once you do that, you can come back for your brother and go to my temple."_

" _I understand, my lady." Gilbert saluted once again._

" _Excellent. I can only send this one dream, so make sure to tell your brother about his destiny when the time is right. May you have good fortune on your journey, Gilbert." The Goddess gave him one last smile before fading into the darkness._

That was the reason Gilbert was now climbing out of his window, trying not to wake Ludwig. He dropped to the ground outside of the training building and darted into the woods behind it. Once he was at a safe distance from the building, he put his hand to his mouth and gave a clear whistle. A hawk soared out of the trees and landed on his shoulder.

"Hey, Kralle," he said, petting his animal companion's head with two fingers.

Kralle gave a low cry in response, nuzzling up to him.

"We have to go on an adventure now, okay?" Gilbert whispered. "Can you help me find a lion cub? _Eine_ _Göttin_ came to me in my dreams and told me to follow one."

Kralle looked at him with sharp, intelligent eyes. The hawk gave a nod, and spread his grey-brown wings, taking off. Gilbert jogged underneath him, keeping his eyes peeled for any big cats. Once, he thought he saw a pair of glowing eyes in the bushes, but when he blinked, they were gone.

Suddenly, Kralle banked and swooped down, screeching his call. The animal companion landed straight in a shrub off the path.

"Kralle!" Gilbert shouted, panicked. He shoved the bush aside to see his hawk standing proudly next to a golden-yellow lion cub. The big cat stared at Gilbert with brilliant green eyes, then nodded. Gilbert was used to human-like behaviour from animals, so he nodded back. On a whim, he decided to salute it in the Fortis fashion. Kralle fluttered up to rest on his shoulder again and dipped his head as well.

The lion cub's eyes seemed to brighten. He waved his tail at them in a friendly way.

"Well," Gilbert grunted. "Time for the awesome me to follow a lion cub."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Bellator area of the same land, Elizabeta Héderváry was having a strange dream as well.

" _For heaven's sake, girl, listen to me."_

 _Elizabeta regarded the lady in front of her and folded her arms. "Not until you tell me who you are and where I am."_

 _Prolium sighed. Why did she always pick the difficult ones? "I am Prolium, we are in your dream, and you are one of the chosen Bellators."_

" _You mean like the legend?" Elizabeta asked sceptically._

" _Yes," said Prolium slowly, as if explaining to a small child. "I don't have much time, so here's what you need to know. You must leave this place and find a lion cub. Follow him until you find a new ally, the leader of your motley crew, yada yada, beat the Shadow. Okay?"_

" _So, who's the other Bellator?" Elizabeta enquired, processing the information._

" _Doesn't matter, you'll find out soon enough. Go to my temple once you are assembled."_

 _Prolium saluted the girl, crossing her arms over her chest and bowing. Elizabeta reluctantly did the same._

" _Good luck, child." Prolium smiled gently. As she was fading, Elizabeta heard the Goddess mumble, "You'll need it."_

Elizabeta abruptly opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the run-down building she lived in. She scowled briefly, not sure if she should believe the dream, but eventually curiosity won out, and she packed a travel bag. She clicked her tongue, and a dusky brown she-wolf slipped out of the shadows to stand beside her.

"Well, Eros," Elizabeta murmured. "I guess we have to find a lion cub now."

She exited the building and decided to head into the forest close by. Eros was loping along beside her, sniffing around for the lion cub.

"Are you under here?" Elizabeta grumbled, peeking under a bush. "What about over here?" She looked behind a tree.

Eros was searching in a similar fashion, poking her head into various spots.

All of a sudden, the wolf froze. Elizabeta strained her ears and caught the sound that was spooking her companion. It sounded like someone blundering through the woods, alternating between growling curses and calling himself 'awesome'.

 _Oh, great._ Elizabeta thought, narrowing her eyes. _Just my luck to find a nutjob wandering through the forest._ She pulled a frying pan out of her bag and held it at the ready, glad that she had taught herself self-defence.

She hefted the frying pan, ready to strike...

* * *

 _And here's the chapter with the Hetalia characters! Still rather short, but they will be growing in length as I keep going. Feel free to drop a review to tell me how I did. Arrivaderci!_


	3. Meeting

_Several seconds earlier..._

"Where are we going, lion?" Gilbert moaned. His foot bashed painfully into a rock, and he hissed something unprintable. If hawks could wince, Kralle would certainly be doing so.

The lion cub glanced at Gilbert, and seemed to be thinking, _seriously?_

"Not my fault. I'm too awesome for that," the albino mumbled.

The big cat raised his tail and pricked his ears. Gilbert caught sight of a figure through the trees as Kralle gave a sharp cry. The figure seemed to be holding a weapon of some kind... It was getting closer: BAM!

"Arrgh!" Gilbert cried, stumbling backwards, his face bashed in from the frying pan it had just received.

"There's more where that came from, creep!" snarled a girl's voice.

"Hey!" Gilbert held up his hands. "I'm not the one who just smashed an innocent person's face in! Why are you calling _me_ creep?"

The long-haired girl was breathing heavily. A wolf stood by her side, teeth bared. Kralle spread his wings and beat them threateningly.

Before conflict could ensue, the lion cub trotted out from the bush and stood in front of the girl. Her eyes widened. "Hey, it's the lion, Eros!" The wolf stopped growling and tilted her head curiously.

"What? You were looking for the lion too?" Gilbert asked in surprise, rubbing his forehead, where a bruise was beginning to form.

The girl had the decency to look a bit ashamed. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I thought you were going to attack me. I just...I need to follow this lion."

"So do I!" Gilbert exclaimed. "I was told-"

"-in a dream, right?" the girl finished. "Me too."

"So, what's your name? Are you one of the chosen six? What's your clan?" Gilbert fired off.

"My name is Elizabeta; yes, I am; Bellator," the girl shot back.

"I'm Gilbert," the albino introduced himself. "Of the Fortis clan. Nice to meet you, Elizabeta."

"Likewise," she replied. Gilbert felt a something stir in his brain as they shook hands. Did this girl seem...familiar?

She shifted her feet. "Uh, I know this will sound weird, but is your hair-?"

"Real?" Gilbert finished. "Yeah, I get that a lot. I was born with this hair colour, and it never changed. Same with the red eyes. I got called a demon a lot..."

Elizabeta winced. "That's not good."

Gilbert grinned. "Nah, I think it's awesome! Anyway, let's get this journey started!"

Elizabeta smiled slightly. "Yeah!"

The lion cub regarded them with something akin to humour in his eyes. Elizabeta turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest and bowing. The cat nodded to her, and she relaxed.

"Well, I guess we keep following the lion now," Gilbert sighed. "I don't know why we have to go through the forest, though."

Kralle landed on Eros' back, dipping his head friendlily. Eros sniffed slightly scornfully, but allowed him to remain there.

Gilbert smiled at Elizabeta, who patted her frying pan in response; the Fortis gulped.

* * *

Francis Bonnefoy flopped onto his lavish bed. He winced as the bruises from the fight earlier twinged with pain. It was the Docte way to hightail it out of there when a skirmish arose, but Francis had felt a compulsion to break up the fighters. _And I payed for it, too,_ he thought as he carefully shifted his weight. It took him a while, but he eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.

" _Francis. Francis. Francis."_

" _Ahh!" Francis sprang to his feet, backing away from the woman that had just appeared in front of him, spouting his name like a broken record._

 _The woman yawned. "Geez, I'm tired. Can we get a move on, please?"_

" _Who are you?" Francis demanded._

" _Callidum," the woman answered easily, as if she was used to saying the Goddess' name all the time._

 _Francis raised his eyebrow. "Mademoiselle, do you expect me to believe that you are_ the _Goddess?"_

 _Callidum looked outraged. "When you stopped that fight earlier, I thought you were the right choice! Was I wrong?"_

" _Wait, you know about that?" Francis panicked. "No one was supposed to find out!"_

" _I saw you, mortal. I was watching you, wondering if I should pick you for the quest." Callidum sighed heavily. "I can only send one dream," she grumbled to herself._

 _Francis perked up. "Quest?_ _Je suis désolé,_ _mon amie. Of course you are a Goddess."_

 _He lived in a wealthy home, but there were so many rules and restrictions. It got tiring after a while, and he longed to go on an adventure._

" _D'accord," he spoke in his native tongue. "I will go on this 'quest'."_

 _Callidum brightened. "Great! Okay, I assume you've heard my legend, right?"_

 _Francis nodded. "Of course, ma chérie."_

 _The Goddess ignored his tone. "Well, this is the year the Shadow attacks, and you are the single Docte embarking on the quest. You must find the mysterious lion cub wandering through the forest. Follow him until you find your leader, just like the legend. Got it?"_

" _Oui," Francis smiled. "When will I see you again, ma-"_

" _Don't even think about it," Callidum sighed. "In any case, we will see each other again. When you assemble your team of heroes, you must visit each temple. When you reach mine, I will give you my blessing."_

" _I await that time with bated breath!" Francis cried._

 _Callidum rolled her eyes, but clasped her hands behind her back and bowed to Francis. He recognized the salute of the Docte and mimicked her._

" _Good luck, Francis," the Goddess sighed again. "Remember my teachings."_

" _B_ _ien sûr," Francis assured her. "I will."_

 _As Callidum faded, Francis detected a strange look an her face. Was it... pity?_

Francis awoke with a start, whipping his head around, confirming that he was still in his room.

" _Mon dieu_ ," he breathed. "Or should I say, _ma déesse_."

He packed a bag full of all the necessary components for a trip, including several day's worth of food, and opened his window. He let the cool breeze play across his face, and he sighed happily.

"Adventure at last," he murmured.

A small fox leaped onto the his bed. He nestled his russet coloured head into Francis' palm and gazed at him questioningly.

"Of course you are coming with me, Beau, _mon ami spécial_!" Francis whispered to the fox.

Beau barked happily, also smelling the fresh air.

Francis pulled out a rope and rappelled down the side of his house. He held out his arms once he was at the bottom, and Beau dove out of the window into them.

Francis' house was on the edge of the city bordering the forest, so he decided to go into it. The best place to look for an animal was probably a less populated place, he concluded.

After wandering around for several minutes, Francis glimpsed the signs telling him that he was leaving Docte territory. He briefly pondered whether it was wise or not to cross the border, but before he could make a decision, Beau suddenly started to bark excitedly. The little fox rushed into the trees on the Bellator side, glancing back at Francis as if he expected the Docte to follow him.

"Beau! _Reviens_!" he called anxiously. When the sounds of the fox crashing into the undergrowth had nearly faded, Francis abandoned all judgement and plunged into the foliage after him.

The next few minutes were a streaming blur to Francis. Twigs whipped by his face, scratching it, as he dashed through the trees; he was keeping one eye on the bushy tail of his fox, and the other on the ground, watching for obstacles.

Finally, Beau started to slow down. "Beau...what has gotten...into you?" Francis managed to scold. He leaned down and took in shuddering gasps of air, refilling his expired lungs.

Beau, on the other hand, seemed barely winded as he sniffed a rock, whining slightly.

"Who knows where we are now?" Francis groaned. Beau flattened his ears in shame.

" _Mon ami_ , it is not your fault." The French boy leaned down to give Beau a comforting pat. The fox perked up, and seemed to gesture to the rock he was smelling earlier.

Francis bent over to examine the rock. There was nothing remarkable about it, but scattered on the ground nearby were several footprints.

"These aren't all human," Francis murmured, tracing one of them. It was shaped like a cat's paw.

"There are more over here!"

Francis and Beau were following the tracks. They had found a set of human ones next to the lion's, soon joined by another human and animal, most likely a wolf. The prints were fairly fresh, so Francis expected to run into whomever had made them soon.

Beau's whiskers twitched; he had smelled someone.

"-are we even going?" complained an unfamiliar male voice.

"Shut your trap before I shut it for you," another voice, a girl's, retorted.

"That was so unawesome," the first voice mumbled. There was a sound of impact; it sounded as if he had just been kicked. "Ow! So was that!"

Francis crouched down behind a bush, keeping an eye out for the strange people. Beau huddled next to him, ears pricked.

"Where is the lion cub leading us?" the boy tried again. "Did _your_ Goddess tell you? I didn't get much information at all."

"The Goddess that talked to me was rude," the girl replied bluntly. "I got _semmiség_ out of her."

Francis had heard enough to know that these two were in the same situation as him. He stepped out of the brush, declaring, "I think I can help you there, _mes amis_."

As expected, the two did not react kindly to a complete stranger melting out of the forest. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Who are you!?" the girl growled, brandishing a slightly dented frying pan at him.

"That was also unawesome!" the boy whimpered, hiding behind the girl.

"Coward," the girl snorted contemptuously.

A wolf and a hawk stood defensively in front of the two, snarling at Beau.

Francis laughed. "Lower your weapon, _ma_ _chérie_ ," he assured. "I am not your enemy."

"A random creep just eavesdropped on a private conversation and started talking to me as if he knew me! Of course I should lower my weapon!" the girl said sarcastically.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Are you always so suspicious?" he wondered. "I was looking for a lion cub in this forest. It wasn't my fault you two were talking so loudly."

The French boy hid his smirk as the two exchanged glances. He decided to use his trump card.

"A Goddess came to me in a dream. She said something about a quest."

The girl's eyes widened, then she grudgingly put down her frying pan. "I guess you _are_ part of this, then," she admitted.

"Kesesese! I knew you were a good guy! I'm Gilbert. This is Elizabeta." Gilbert pointed to the hawk and wolf. "The hawk is my companion, named Kralle, and Elizabeta's wolf is named Eros."

" _Ravi de vous rencontrer_ ," Francis greeted.

"What's that weird language you keep speaking?" Elizabeta asked, eyeing Francis warily. "Neither of us can understand you."

"Pardon me, I did not realize! I will try to refrain from speaking French too much, _ma cher_." he said apologetically, ironically slipping up in the first sentence.

"What's your name?" Gilbert asked. "And your clan?"

"I am Francis, and this is Beau. It is a pleasure to meet you! I am your one and only Docte."

Francis watched the smiles on the two's faces become slightly fixed. _More people who don't like the Docte,_ he thought sadly. _Just because we aren't all 'high and mighty' like everyone else doesn't mean we should be penalized for it._

Elizabeta composed herself. "I'm the first Bellator and Gilbert is the first Fortis out of the six," she told him. "We're following the lion cub to find our leader."

The previously unnoticed lion finally stepped up. He dipped his head to Francis, who clasped his hands behind his back and bowed. The big cat finally seemed satisfied, and with a flick of his tail, he started to lead the three travellers at a jaunty pace.

"So, where _are_ we going?" Gilbert whispered to Elizabeta.

She smacked him irritably. "Just concentrate on following the lion!"

Francis trailed behind them, smirking some more. This was going to be fun.

* * *

 _Still short ;-;. I had a little time to write today, so there you go. Also I don't know German or Hungarian, so do not take the lines in those languages as truth, because I honestly have no idea. I don't really have anything else to say, so... Feel free to review! Arrivaderci!_


	4. That Makes Four

_I forgot to mention, the ages are a bit skewed in this. They won't be true to actual history or canon, due to certain aspects of the story, and such. Sorry about that!_

* * *

About two weeks after the strange dream, Arthur was stretched out on his bed, reading a book on magic by a shaft of moonlight falling across the room. He had reached a particularly interesting passage when he heard muffled footsteps coming from outside. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to pinpoint where they had come from.

Step. Step. Step.

There they were again. Arthur scowled as he peeked out of the window. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Right there, on _his_ front lawn, was a _real live_ _lion_. Just sitting there, gazing at the house expectantly! Arthur quickly jerked the curtain shut, not willing to believe it. He had never had a companion. Why would one come now?

A sharp rapping sound penetrated Arthur's thoughts. Someone was at the door.

Arthur hesitated. He usually didn't open the door to anyone, but something told him that this was important; this was something he had to do. Against his better judgement, he pulled open the door.

" _J'aime ce que je vois_ ~!"

"Kesesese! He's kinda scrawny. And short."

"Shut up before I have to own _another_ cooking utensil with an imprint of your face on it!"

Standing before Arthur was the most bewildering sight he had seen in a long time. A tall boy with silver hair and red eyes was trying to wrestle a dented frying pan away from a girl with long, brown hair with a little orange flower in it, and green eyes. A boy with long, blond hair and sky blue eyes was standing off to the side, laughing at them, making no indications that he was going to stop the fight. Egging on the two fighting was a grey-brown hawk and a chocolate-brown wolf, while a red fox was shaking its head.

Arthur stood stock-still for a full minute, taking in the unbelievable scene before him. Finally, he regained his sense of rationality and slammed the door shut with a bang.

* * *

"Oh, great, you scared him," Elizabeta hissed.

" _I_ scared him? You were the one waving around your crazy weapons!" Gilbert insisted.

" _Mes amis_ , we should be calm. We will just knock again and actually _speak_ to the poor boy!" Francis stepped up placidly and knocked on the door with a few elegant taps. No response.

" _Excusez-moi, monsieur_ ," the Docte called. "My companions and I are sorry for that rather undignified scene, but we would like to talk to you."

"Shove off, frog," came the muffled reply.

Gilbert sniggered as Francis' face flushed slightly, unused to being addressed so impolitely.

"That was rather rude, you know," Francis fumed, his accent becoming more pronounced.

The door shot open. "You know what's rude?" Arthur snarled, his own accent intensifying. "Knocking on an innocent stranger's door and thoroughly ruining his evening! What did I ever do to you?"

"You're our leader!" exclaimed Gilbert cheerfully, only to be forcefully smacked again by Elizabeta.

"He doesn't know that yet, _bolond_!"

"What does that even mean?" complained Gilbert, finding himself once again rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"All you need to know is it's an insult in Hungarian," she growled.

"It means fool."

Elizabeta glanced at Arthur in surprise.

"I actually studied my languages," he said, folding his arms. "I know at least eight."

"Including French, the language of love?" Francis purred.

" _Je sais assez pour vous dire de se taire_ , frog," Arthur snapped.

Francis put his hand on his forehead exaggeratedly. "I am wounded, _mon ami_! We just met! Why are you so mean to me?"

"I don't have a lot of experience talking to people," Arthur muttered.

Elizabeta narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

Arthur frowned deeply, pausing. "I don't have to explain anything to you," he mumbled eventually.

"Look, let's stop standing here on your doorstep, which is rather rude, and talk this over inside. Let us in," Elizabeta commanded.

Arthur scowled. "Why should I?"

Finally, the lion cub bounded up. He sat directly in front of Arthur and opened his mouth, as if he was going to speak.

"Wait, it's not going to-" Gilbert started, but Elizabeta slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I am your animal companion. Please, let us come in and we will inform you of everything," the lion meowed.

Arthur stared in shock at the big cat. Several thoughts rushed through his mind as he tried to process how the animal had talked, and what it said. He settled on one detail.

"You're...my animal companion?" he croaked.

The lion dipped his head again. "Yes. I have come to you at last, and you have a great destiny to fulfil."

Arthur opened the door fully. "I guess you guys can come in, then."

After everyone walked in and more or less made themselves comfortable, Francis sat on the single chair near a big fireplace, casting a critical eye around the house. "You live here?" he asked, slightly scornfully.

Arthur flushed faintly. "No one asked you to come. If you don't like it, then leave."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, _mon ami_. I _was_ asked to come here," the Docte declared.

"Why do you live alone?" Gilbert interrupted. The hawk on his shoulder tilted his head in a questioning way.

"My entire family is dead." Arthur answered bluntly.

Elizabeta gasped quietly and Gilbert looked sympathetic. Francis walked up to Arthur and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Worry not! We will be your new family!"

Arthur mumbled something darkly as he threw the blond boy's arm off.

"Okay," Elizabeta began. "First of all, have you learned about the legend of the Goddesses of Terra Deaeque?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. So, as you know, the Shadow God challenges them every hundred years. They choose six heroes. This is that year, and we are four of the six heroes."

Arthur was silent. The look in his eyes was troubling the three.

"There are two Fortis, two Bellator, one Docte, and one Omnes," Gilbert reminded him. " _Mein bruder_ and I are the two Fortis, Elizabeta here is one of the Bellator, and Francis is the Docte. The Goddess of each of our respective clans came to us in a dream, telling us to follow that lion cub-" he gestured to the animal in question- "to find our leader. The lion led us to you, so you're our leader," he finished simply.

"You're mad," Arthur said quietly.

"Sorry, _mon ami_ ," Francis chuckled. "No one is crazy here. We are deadly serious."

The Omnes glared at Francis. "You expect me to believe you? If this is true, why didn't I get a dream?" Even as he said the words, he remembered his confusing dream from before. A mysterious voice _had_ told him something about leadership and destiny.

The lion raised a paw slightly. "You are the Omnes. The Great Angel tried to send you a dream, but she is growing ever weaker. That is why she sent me to you at last."

"So how come you can talk?" interrupted Gilbert, who was lounging on the floor.

The big cat looked pleased. "We have always been able to talk. It is the _humans_ who have not been listening."

"You got that right!" piped a voice.

Gilbert started and stared at his hawk, who was looking delighted with himself.

"Kralle, you can talk!?" whooped Gilbert.

"I've talked to you since you met me! You've never answered back, though!" Kralle sang as he flew around Gilbert's head.

Eros shook her head. "Boys," she commented to a incredulous Elizabeta.

"Girls," retorted Beau, looking at an equally disbelieving Francis for support.

"Wait, wait, wait." Francis held up his hands. "They have been talking to us this entire time, and we have just not been able to hear them?"

"Yes, pretty much," confirmed the lion cub.

"What is your name?" asked the ever cordial Arthur, trying to get back on track.

"I don't have one, but you can name me. I am _your_ companion, after all," the lion purred.

Arthur hesitated slightly. "Uh...I always dreamed that when I got a companion, I would name him Spirit," he admitted.

Gilbert stood up. "From this day on, this lion cub will be known as Spirit!" he commanded in a ringing voice. "Let the Goddesses look upon and approve of this decision."

Noticing Arthur looking at him strangely, he explained, "It's the naming ritual. I've seen it done a lot."

Spirit nodded again. "Now, to business," he said, and his ears twitched. "Ah, I believe your patron has now scraped together enough strength to give you a short message."

He had barely finished speaking before a glowing rainbow light permeated the room, filling it with a cacophony of colours. In the middle, a shape formed into an angel. The light sparkled faintly and faded.

"Hello, my children," Matris Magnae, for of course it was she, said happily.

The four kids stood to attention. Gilbert, Elizabeta, and Francis saluted the Great Angel respectfully, but Arthur looked down at the floor, his face burning.

"Arthur, salute in the Omnes way!" hissed Elizabeta out of the side of her mouth.

"I don't know how!" Arthur whispered back, dismayed.

Matris Magnae walked past each child, murmuring, "At ease," to each one as she passed. When she came to Arthur, she smiled gently.

"I know you have not interacted much with the outside world. I understand why, my child, but it is time to leave this place and embark on a journey to save this land," she stated. "You will have to learn to salute the Omnes way."

She made a three clawed gesture with her hand. Showing Arthur, who copied her, she put it over her heart.

"The three clawed gesture is for warding off evil, so it is the sign of the Great Angel," explained Spirit.

Arthur did as she had done, looking up at her in awe.

"Why did you choose me, my lady?" he asked respectfully, albeit a bit bitterly. "I'm not special in any way. I'm just a recluse with an overly tragic past."

"No!" said the Great Angel sharply. "I chose you because you have the potential to change the world."

The gravity of the statement sank in for a moment.

"Change...the world?" Arthur asked, frightened by the prospect.

"Maybe that was a bit dramatic," the angel sighed. "I must defeat the Shadow God once and for all, so that he plagues my land no longer. I am growing weak, however, as I am sure you have heard. If I fail, _you_ must vanquish the Shadow God in my place."

"That's bloody ridiculous," Arthur said vehemently, evidently forgetting who he was talking to.

The other three winced, but Matris Magnae just smiled tiredly, suddenly looking her age. "I know it seems that way, Arthur. I myself have questioned many of my own decisions. But on this one, I am sure. I have complete faith in you and your team."

"But why?" Arthur was almost yelling now, his pent-up emotions spilling over the surface. "I'm _not_ a leader! I can't do anything!"

"On the contrary," the angel spoke in a serious voice, "You are _Omnes._ You can do _anything._ "

As her voice rang through the room, commanding, yet full of honesty, Arthur relaxed. The words had an undeniable truth to them, and it was soothing to hear her voice confirming it. He finally believed that maybe he _could_ make a difference; maybe he _could_ do it! The others, too, felt reassured by her voice.

"You'd best pack," the Great Angel advised, fading out of sight.

Arthur started to nod, but froze as a memory flashed through his mind.

" _You'd better pack soon."_

" _I know, dude. Geez, stop nagging!"_

" _So...when will you come back?"_

" _I...guess I don't really know. Don't worry, bro! We'll see each other soon, I promise! Hahahaha!"_

"Arthur? What's wrong?" asked Elizabeta, noticing his expression.

"Just some memories..." mumbled Arthur. "He promised, but..."

"He?" echoed Gilbert. "Who's 'he'?"

Arthur started up the stairs. "No one. Not anymore," he sighed, disappearing from view.

* * *

 _Another chapter! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited, or reviewed! Also, I apologize if the languages that aren't English aren't up to par. I'm not fluent, so I probably made a mistake. So for now, arrivaderci!_


	5. Departure

_I don't own Hetalia._

* * *

Half an hour later, Arthur reappeared. The other three had made themselves comfortable, playing with a pack of cards they had found.

"Sorry, but we'll have to stay the night," Gilbert told Arthur, throwing a couple of cards on the pile in front of him.

Arthur was about to object, but Elizabeta held up her hand. "Let me get one thing straight," she said firmly. "We are going to be travelling together for a while now, so let's get comfortable with each other. We should start with formal introductions." She stuck out her hand to Arthur. "I'm Elizabeta Héderváry, the first Bellator on the quest. Just call me Lizzie."

Ever the gentleman, Arthur took her hand. "Arthur Kirkland. I...guess I'm the Omnes."

Gilbert jumped up next. "Gilbert Beilschmidt, the first Fortis! I AM AWESOME!"

"Um, yes, I'm sure you are," Arthur stammered, the albino's energetic personality overwhelming him slightly.

Francis got up gracefully. "Francis Bonnefoy. I am the one and only Docte. Pleasure to meet you, Arthur."

"And you as well," mumbled Arthur. For some reason, he could feel himself instantly disliking the flamboyant boy. Maybe it was the messed up first impression. Or maybe it was the aura this boy gave off; he just screamed _rich_.

"Good. Now that we all know each other, we can leave tomorrow morning!" Lizzie said brightly.

"Fine. Follow me," Arthur instructed. The three rose and followed him up the stairs. Arthur stopped at the top.

"All the rooms except mine are free," he said dully, indicating to which one was his. "Choose whichever you want."

Lizzie looked into a room that seemed like a woman's. "I'll take this one," she decided.

Arthur gave a weak half-smile. "My, er, Mum's, so to speak. Sorry if it's messy, I haven't been there in a while."

Lizzie started comforting him (to his dismay) as Gilbert chose a spare room, immediately shutting the door to get some long-awaited sleep.

Francis wandered to the end of the hall and opened the very last door. Lizzie followed him and peeked in curiously. Inside, there were several posters lining the wall, most sporting the word 'I'm the Hero!' in colourful letters. There was dusty sports equipment everywhere, but many schoolbooks as well. Everything looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

Arthur saw Lizzie and Francis inspecting the room, and she noticed his expression become panicked.

"Don't go in there!" Arthur nearly screeched. He forced the door shut, breathing heavily. "That room is also off-limits!"

" _Désolé_!" Francis hastily apologized. "I did not know!"

"Me neither!" Lizzie added.

"Just go to bed," Arthur snapped, going to the room next to the forbidden one and disappearing inside it, slamming the door sharply.

"What's with him?" Francis sighed, frustrated.

"Just...be gentle," Lizzie advised. "This is all very new to him."

Suddenly, Gilbert stuck his head into the hall, his crimson eyes heavy with fatigue. "Shut up and go to bed," he groaned. " _Some_ of us want to rest after wandering through a forest for weeks."

Lizzie gave him a glare, but let it go. She would permit him to live... _this time._

" _Jó éjszakát_ ," she bid.

" _Bonne nuit_ ," Francis nodded.

" _Guten nacht_ ," Gilbert muttered.

"Good _night_ ," came Arthur's muffled voice, trying to sound irritable but only succeeding in sounding a bit unhappy.

Lizzie smiled sadly as she closed her door. She hoped Arthur would be able to adjust soon.

* * *

The next morning, they met up at the kitchen table. Francis had come down first, and was puttering around the kitchen looking for food. He looked around as Lizzie and Eros entered the room.

" _Bonjour_ ," he greeted.

She waved in response, not able to reply with words because she was yawning hugely.

"I am looking for something to make breakfast with, but it seems _notre ami_ is lacking in that department," he chuckled.

Gilbert stumbled in next, yawning widely, Kralle on his shoulder. "Got some coffee or something?" he asked, slumping at the table next to Lizzie, who was reading one of Arthur's many books.

"Not in this house," Francis told him. "There is tea, though."

"What are you doing, bloody idiot?" Arthur asked grumpily, stalking into the kitchen. "I may have invited you to stay the night, but I didn't give you permission to make yourselves at home."

"Arthur!" Francis scolded, ignoring his previous statement. "Why is there next to no food here?"

"I haven't got much left since the last time I got some, so I was rationing it," Arthur replied stiffly.

"Why not just go out and buy some at the market?" Francis asked. He looked up and met Arthur's emerald-green eyes. In those eyes, he saw past the annoyance and glimpsed a flash of fear. _The boy is truly afraid of going outside_ , Francis realized. _What happened to make him like this?_

"Never mind," Francis backtracked. "I will use what you have left to make us breakfast, and we will be on our way after."

"Oi!" Gilbert yelled. "Where's my caffeine?"

The tea kettle started whistling. "I'll get it," Arthur offered reluctantly, taking it off the fire. He poured four cups of tea and sat them down in front of the others.

Francis rummaged through the pantry. Food was sparse, but he scraped together enough to make a decent meal. Soon, nice smells were floating through the kitchen, causing all of the animals (and Gilbert) to sniff the air hopefully.

Francis set down the plates (including some for the animals), smiling contentedly. " _Bon appétit!_ "

Gilbert and Kralle dug in enthusiastically. Lizzie attacked her food with no mercy while Eros scarfed down every last morsel. Francis and Beau were eating delicately. The Docte observed Arthur as he ate. The poor boy was staring at his meal as though he had never tasted anything so delicious in his life.

"Do you like it?" Francis asked Arthur, watching him closely.

"It's good...for a frog," Arthur replied offhandedly. Spirit twitched his tail, amused, but said nothing.

"Okay!" Lizzie interrupted. "Time to plan," she said, spreading out a map of Terra Deaeque. "We are here." She pointed to the very centre of the map, Domum.

"That's the Omnes town," Eros announced matter-of-factly.

"So, we have to visit all the temples, right?" Gilbert asked, his voice muffled because of the food he had packed in it. "Where do we start?"

"Well, I thought we could go through this forest to Procul first," Lizzie explained, tracing her finger down the rightmost bunch of trees. "Then we would stop by the Fortis city and pick up your brother, Gilbert. After that, we could head to the Fortis temple."

Arthur nodded, studying the map. "The we could go north to Vitta, to the Bellator temple. I hope we find the second Bellator by then."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Lizzie promised.

"Then, we should go back to Procul and to the Docte city," Francis mused. "That's where the Docte temple is."

"And afterwards, we'll come back here to the Omnes temple!" Gilbert finished. "Where is it, anyway?" he asked Arthur.

Arthur shrugged. "How should I know? Find it on the map."

Lizzie located it. "It's near a place called 'Tragoedia'. But for some reason, the name seems to be penned over something else I can't quite make out."

Arthur stiffened. "There?" he asked, stricken.

"Yeah, there. Why? What's wrong with that place?" Gilbert tilted his head questioningly.

"None of your business," Arthur muttered sullenly.

Francis regarded the Omnes. He was hiding something, no doubt about it.

"Anyways," Arthur broke in hurriedly. "I guess we have our route planned, so let's...um, go."

Francis collected all the dishes as everyone else exited the house into the sunshine. Arthur was still inside, peeking out the door apprehensively when Francis got ready to leave.

"Aren't you coming?" Francis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Arthur snapped. "Just one second."

He disappeared into the house one last time, leaving the other three to awkwardly wait for him.

Finally, he came out again, wrapped in a black cloak, shoving a thick magic book into his pack.

Francis sighed. "Is the cloak really necessary?"

Arthur gave Francis another glare from beneath his impressive eyebrows, but didn't answer.

Just then, a boy a bit older than them with the obvious air of an aristocrat strolled by the house. He glanced briefly at the odd group, then did a double-take.

"Arthur Kirkland?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "You still live here? I thought everyone left after that terrible tragedy."

"Roderich," Arthur hissed through clenched teeth. "You know very well that...that _his_ mom died and I decided to stay."

"Oh, is that so?" Roderich exclaimed, feigning surprise. "I never see you out, Arthur! How was I to know you still lived in this dump?"

Arthur opened his mouth furiously to retort, but, deciding enough was enough, Francis stepped forward.

"Excuse me, _monsieur_..."

"Edelstein, Roderich Edelstein," the man supplied.

" _Monsieur_ Edelstein. With all due respect, you have no right to antagonize this boy. He has lived through a terrible tragedy. You should be _supporting_ him, not pestering him with your silly insults."

Roderich paused, his odd cowlick bouncing slightly. "I see," he said flatly. "Well, then, Arthur, I also see that you are leaving. For good, I hope? Your reclusive air was ruining this high-class neighbourhood. Many people here will be glad to see the back of you."

Arthur made to dash and fix his hands around the older boy's throat, but Gilbert restrained him.

"Come and say that to my face, you jerk!" Arthur screamed, thrashing violently against the Fortis' grip.

Roderich simply waved sarcastically and continued walking down the path.

Gilbert kept Arthur pinned until Roderich had long disappeared. He released him, and the Omnes flopped to the ground, panting. "Why did you stop me?" he spat when he had caught his breath. "That stupid, arrogant, conceited _idiot!_ "

Francis knelt down. "Arthur, we know you are a bit...socially challenged, but you cannot go and beat up everyone who annoys you. There are _imbéciles_ in this world, but you must not retaliate violently. Do you understand?"

 _If looks could kill, I would be dead,_ Francis noted as Arthur glowered at him.

"Arthur, Francis is right," Gilbert said firmly. "That boy pissed me off, too, but violence isn't always the answer."

" _That boy_ was the bane of my existence when I was five," Arthur growled. "Always reminding me that normal kids had parents, so I was most definitely _not normal._ " He laughed bitterly. "He took every opportunity to point out that I didn't have an animal companion, either. To him, I was always just the outcast."

"Forget that now," Lizzie soothed. "We're going on the journey now. We won't see him again."

Arthur gave a halfhearted snort. "How old are you, anyways? You all talk to me as if I'm a little kid."

"Sixteen," Lizzie responded.

"Me, as well," Francis agreed.

"Me too!" Gilbert chimed in.

Arthur blinked. "Oh. I'm fifteen. But, please stop treating me like a kid, because I'm not a delicate flower made out of glass. I can hold my own!"

"I believe you!" Gilbert laughed. "Even the awesome me had trouble holding you back!"

"Yes, well, can we go now?" Francis asked. "We're wasting daylight."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Arthur shot back. "Some strangers came to me one evening and forced me to leave my splendid isolation, but no, let's talk about your _lost daylight-_ "

"Well at least _I_ -"

Francis and Arthur continued to argue as they walked down towards the market.

"West would be able to stop them," Gilbert sighed.

"Who?" Lizzie asked, trying to block out the sound of bickering.

"My brother. He always knows how to stop a fight."

"I hope we get there soon," Lizzie groaned. She was not eager to have to listen to Arthur and Francis fight the whole way to Procul.

* * *

 _Well, here we go. Things are starting to move along now. Drop a review to tell me what you think?_

 _Arrivaderci!_


	6. Just Keep Going

Ludwig stared out of his window at the morning sky. Looking down, he could see the imprints on the ground where his brother had landed last night. Leaving. Without telling him.

" _Verdammt_!" he growled. "When I find that brother of mine..." He strangled the air briefly.

Ludwig's companion, Felix, lumbered up to him, pushing his head into the Fortis' hand.

Ludwig sighed as he stroked the bear cub. All he could do was wait... Wait for him to come back.

 _ **If** he comes back._ A voice seemed to whisper the worry darkly.

"He _will_ come back!" Ludwig told Felix fiercely, refusing to believe the thought. His bear regarded him, confused, as Ludwig got to his feet and paced around the room agitatedly. "Gilbert, you _dummkopf!_ "

The reason Ludwig was this upset was because he and Gilbert had almost never been apart for the fifteen years that the Fortis had been alive. Gilbert was extremely overprotective of his brother, so for him to run away without a word, or even a _note_ , to Ludwig was very worrying.

Ludwig could hear a faint voice ordering to 'get his butt down _now_ ' from below him. He sighed, remembering that there was training today, and he would have to explain Gilbert's absence to the instructor. Lovely. He knew what was coming next.

* * *

Arthur once again stormed ahead of the group, his anger palpable in the air. Lizzie glanced at Francis, seeing his equally frustrated face.

"What did you do this time?" she sighed, shaking her head.

"It wasn't me!" Francis snapped. "It was our leader's _wonderful_ sense of tact. He decided it was high time to comment on-"

"You know what? No one cares," Gilbert interrupted. "We're sick and tired of your stupid arguing."

Francis bristled. "He seems to hate me," he hissed. "I did absolutely _nothing_ to make him act this way towards me!"

Lizzie was about to reply, but before she could, a yell and a splash echoed from up ahead. They watched, frozen, as Arthur dragged himself out of the small stream he had just tripped into.

"What are you staring at?" he shouted at them, dripping wet.

Gilbert failed to suppress a chuckle. "Oh, Artie. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Don't laugh at me! Or call me that ridiculous nickname!"

Francis crouched down next to Arthur, who lay sprawled on the ground, trying to pull off his sopping cloak.

"Do you need help?" Francis asked quietly.

"Not from the likes of you, frog!"

Finally, Lizzie couldn't help it. She began to laugh. Soon, she was clutching her sides, tears streaming down her face. Her laugh was infectious, and Gilbert was soon joining her.

Francis held back a smile as he watched them. Without asking again, he reached out and removed the cloak from Arthur's shoulders. Arthur didn't struggle this time, and was oddly quiet as he observed the other two as well. At last, he cracked a reluctant grin, his emerald eyes bright.

"Well, well!" Francis exclaimed. "The impenetrable wall breaks at last!"

Arthur punched him lightly. "Shut up."

Francis smiled teasingly. "Make me."

Arthur narrowed his eyes and stood up. As soon as Francis straightened as well, the Omnes pushed him into the stream vengefully.

"Hey!" Francis spluttered.

"Serves you right!" Gilbert jeered, just before Arthur came up behind him and shoved him into the water as well.

Lizzie eyed Arthur suspiciously, taking a defensive stance. "Well?"

"A gentleman never pushes a lady," Arthur replied.

"Ha! You call yourself a gentleman!?" Gilbert yelled as he spit out water.

Lizzie smirked. "I may be a _lady_ , but I'm just as capable as you at doing this!" With those words, she pushed Arthur back in the water.

The Omnes resurfaced, alternating between spouting water and curses.

Francis winced. "That display is _not_ very gentlemanly," he commented, referring to Arthur's foul mouth.

Gilbert hauled himself out of the water, shaking himself like a dog. "Well, now that this wonderful misadventure is over, how about some food? I'm starving!"

Lizzie pulled some food out of the thankfully dry packs. "Enjoy," she said, tossing it to him.

Gilbert began to stuff the food into his mouth ravenously as Francis and Arthur clambered out.

"My hair!" Francis lamented.

"We have more to worry about than your stupid hair!" Arthur retorted, trying to dry his clothes off in the weak evening sunlight.

"So," Lizzie began once they all settled down, "I was thinking."

"Good for you," Arthur muttered sarcastically. Gilbert glared daggers at him.

" _Any_ way, as I was _saying_ , I was thinking. We will most likely encounter members of the Shadow Army. We'll need ways to defend ourselves," the Bellator finished.

"Oh, don't worry!" Gilbert exclaimed. "I totally have that covered. Me and West live in a building with plenty of weapons; we can swipe some from there."

"Also, I have my tome, so we're not completely defenceless right now," Arthur reminded her.

"Tome?"

"Magic book. I can use spells in combat."

Lizzie nodded absently, glimpsing the setting sun. "Looks like this is where we're making camp."

Gilbert stood, now dry. "I'll go gather some firewood."

"Good. Francis, Arthur, you two set up camp. I'll prepare dinner for the rest of us," Lizzie instructed.

Francis started laying down the bedrolls. Arthur cleared away a spot in the centre of the clearing, getting it ready for the fire.

Soon, Gilbert staggered into the clearing, hauling several pieces of wood. Lizzie helped him form a pile in the spot Arthur had prepared, and the Fortis set it aflame.

"Nothing left to do but sit, I guess." Gilbert gestured to the logs set around the fire.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes while they ate their food. Gilbert, having already eaten, stared into the fire, bored. He glanced at Lizzie, and recalled how he felt when he first saw her in the forest. He had had the strongest sense of familiarity when their eyes met. Almost as if they had met before...

* * *

Lizzie felt Gilbert's gaze scorching her all through dinner, but had refrained from commenting on it. However, after Gilbert had claimed first watch and once Francis and Arthur had both dropped off to sleep, she went to sit beside him.

"Hey," he said, his eyes focused on the ground. "You should get some rest."

"I need to talk to you," she said firmly.

Gilbert was uncharacteristically quiet as he scraped the ground with a stick. "What about?"

"You know what. You were the one staring at me."

"I had a good reason."

"Then tell me!" Lizzie could feel herself losing her patience. He kept dodging the point of the matter!

"I was thinking about a few days ago."

"When we met." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." He turned to look at her for the first time since she sat down.

She was struck with an odd feeling. Those unique crimson eyes... had she seen them before?

"I... I felt like..." he stuttered.

"Like I know you," she finished for him.

His face showed relief. "You feel it too? Then it's true! We _have_ met before!"

"But how?" Lizzie pondered. "I don't remember anything but the sense that we've met."

"Yeah, and we presumably grew up in completely different areas, so how is that possible?" Gilbert mused. "What was your childhood like?"

Lizzie chuckled. "Messed up. I realized pretty early on that life was survival of the fittest, so I had to be the fittest. I used to think I was a boy, until I realized that girls can be just as strong, or even stronger."

Gilbert sat up excitedly. "Wait! I remember something now! When I was just a little kid, I met a really odd boy on the border. He had a strange personality. He was all gung-ho about everything. We knew each other for only about a week before I was forbidden to go to the border anymore, but he was always talking about waging war on some guy named... 'Sadiq', I think. I joined in because I was a pretty fierce fighter as well." He sighed, reminiscing. "We never did get to carry out our plan."

Lizzie's eyes widened. "Gilbert," she said slowly. "That 'boy' was me."

Gilbert tilted his head. "So...I do know you!?"

"Seems like it." Lizzie smiled as she finally remembered her childhood friend, the only happiness in her otherwise lonely life. When he had stopped coming to their meeting place, she had moped around for a week. Once she had pulled herself together, she had vowed to find him, even if it took the rest of her life. _Well...mission accomplished._

"Well, I guess I should wake up Francis for his watch, huh?"

"It's that late already? I was supposed to get some sleep before my watch after Francis', not stay up..." Lizzie groaned.

"You'll be fine. My awesomeness must be rubbing off, kesesesese!" Gilbert smirked.

Lizzie yawned in response, and dragged herself to her bedroll, falling asleep almost immediately. Gilbert crouched down next to Francis and whispered in his ear, " _A_ _fwachen_ _..._ "

Francis twitched, but did not wake.

Gilbert frowned, and hauled Francis into a sitting position. "Get up, lazybones! You've got a duty to do in this here camp, and there's no sleeping on the job!"

The Docte's eyes blinked open sleepily. "I will if you let go of me, " he said with a yawn.

Gilbert gave a snort of disgust. "How deep in Dreamland were you? It took me forever to get you up."

"I was having a nightmare," Francis said heatedly. "It was the kind that keeps you asleep."

"Whatever, sleeping beauty," Gilbert sniggered. "Just keep watch, and wake Lizzie when it's her turn."

Francis scowled at Gilbert, who waved cheekily and lay down. Cursing the Fortis, Francis sat on the rock he had been occupying before. He hadn't been lying: his dream really was confusing. Many dark shapes had been flying all around him, and a creepy voice had been cackling. Pondering his vision, he failed to notice a shadowed silhouette obscure the moon for a moment, then pounce.

* * *

 _Ahhh this chapter is so short ;-;. I'm sorry for that, but it seemed like a good time to end it. I dunno... I'll write another chapter quickly to make up for this short one! So, until next time, arrivaderci!_


	7. Enter the Fifth

Arthur awoke to Francis crying out. He staggered to his feet and grabbed his tome, looking around for the Docte, his eyes still half-blinded with sleep. Beside him, Gilbert jumped up wordlessly, snatched up a stick from the ground, grimaced at it, and ran to the stream, where the yelling was loudest. Lizzie was hot on his heels, and Arthur cautiously followed them. He saw, by the bright moon, that Francis was being attacked by a shadow creature.

"Francis has nothing to defend himself with!" Lizzie managed as she ran at top speed.

Gilbert did not reply, but increased his pace, a look of fury on his face. Arthur skidded to a halt at the stream's edge and stopped briefly to catch his breath. As he did so, he saw Gilbert make a great leap and land on the shadow creature's back, but it was too late. The shadowy menace had sunk its teeth deep into Francis' arm when he tried to fend it off.

Gilbert drove the stick he was holding deep into the monster, and quickly disembarked as Lizzie pulled Francis out of the way. Arthur decided that it was his turn to help, and as the creature reared, bellowing, he flipped to the right page on his tome and spoke the incantation. " _F_ _usione_!"

The shadow creature began to melt. Roaring, it lunged at Arthur's face, melting into a puddle just before it reached him.

Breathing hard, Gilbert scowled at Francis. "You call that guard duty!?"

"It came at me from above! How the heck was I supposed to see it?" Francis retorted, trying to staunch the bleeding in his arm. Oddly, no one tried to help him.

Lizzie stepped between them. "I'm sure that if we had weapons, this wouldn't have happened, so don't blame Francis."

"Humph." Gilbert turned away from the Docte and caught sight of Arthur, who was slipping back to the camp. "Hey, shorty!"

Arthur whipped around. "Don't call me that!" he hissed.

Gilbert smirked. "You did a good job out there, kid."

"Two things. One, I'm only a year younger than you, so don't call me kid. Two, I just did what anyone would do," the Omnes countered.

Francis joined Gilbert. "Seriously, Arthur, _merci._ I would not be here to say this if you didn't help me."

Arthur turned away. "Whatever. Like I said, anyone would have done it." He began to trudge towards the camp.

Francis watched the darkness swallow Arthur up with a sad look on his face. "I wish we could help."

"We all do, mate," Gilbert said, clapping Francis on the back. "Some people are just like that."

"Well, that's not completely true," Lizzie commented. "Most people that are like that had something happen to them. Maybe if you got him to open up to you, he'll tell you."

"Didn't he say his whole family was dead?" Francis recalled.

"Yeah, but there must be some story to that. Remember when we went into that room in his house? He freaked out," Lizzie reminded him. "One of us should get closer to him and find out about that."

"I'm too awesome to pry into others' business, so I'm not gonna do it," Gilbert immediately said.

"Yeah," Lizzie agreed. "He already got mad at me for babying him before."

They both looked at Francis expectantly.

"Wait," the Docte said in disbelief. "He hates my guts! Why are you making _me_ do this?"

Gilbert and Lizzie were already heading back to the camp. Gilbert glanced over his shoulder at Francis, raising his eyebrows. _Good luck,_ his crimson eyes seemed to say. Francis hoped he was imagining the malicious glint in them.

"By the way, where the heck is your fox?" Gilbert yelled back at Francis. "He can probably defend himself, even if _you_ can't."

Francis hurried to catch up, favouring his arm. "That's actually a good question."

Lizzie joined in. "I haven't seen any of our companions since the stream yesterday. It just...slipped my mind, which is kinda weird, since I never spend time away from Eros."

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "I think something is up." He closed his eyes and tried to sense his hawk. "I'm not feeling Kralle anywhere, guys."

"Me as well," Lizzie agreed, furrowing her brow.

By now, they had reached the camp. Gilbert spotted Arthur sitting into the fire, gazing into it. "Hey, Arthur!"

"What do you want?" the Omnes muttered tonelessly.

"To ask if you've seen Spirit anywhere," Francis explained. "None of us can find nor sense our companions. It's like something just made us forget about them."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't." Arthur frowned, a troubled look in his eyes. "Although, I shouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't be the first time someone abandoned me."

Francis sat beside him. "Don't worry," he soothed. "That will not happen again. You have us now."

The Frenchman noticed that Arthur's green eyes were fractured like broken glass. A few tears ran down the Omnes' pale cheeks, but he scowled and looked away, furiously wiping them.

Francis' heart melted, watching the poor boy struggle to conceal his feelings. He said nothing for the rest of the night, but continued to sit next to Arthur, silently supporting him, watching the fire burn itself into twinkling embers.

* * *

The next morning, the four cleared up the site and filled their bottles with fresh water from the stream.

"You know, I think I hate this place," Francis commented, looking around. He gestured to his newly bandaged arm. "This sucks."

"I'll eat to that!" Gilbert agreed, crunching into an apple.

"Where did you get that?" Lizzie asked, a look of faint disgust on her face as she watched the Fortis devour the fruit messily.

"Over there." Gilbert pointed to a tree positively bursting with shiny red apples.

"How did we miss that before?" Francis asked unnecessarily.

"Who cares? Just gather as many as you can!" Gilbert cheered.

After they had proceeded to do so, they fully packed their bags, ready to leave.

"We should set a straight course to my place. Weapons are the priority right now," Gilbert said firmly. "We're almost at the city; it's about a week's walk from here."

Ignoring Francis' horrified cry of "A _week?!_ ", he rolled up the map and stuffed it in his bag. Pulling out one of the apples, he took a big bite out of it. "I'll lead," he mumbled around the food.

When they set off, Gilbert was in front, navigating around the various swamps dotted around the territory. Lizzie, who had taken the map back from Gilbert, was studying it, muttering to herself. Francis was complaining about the weight of his backpack and his arm hurting. Arthur was getting a headache from the Docte's voice, so he slowed his pace until he was trailing behind the rest. He reviewed the battle in his mind.

 _I guess all that practise with magic worked,_ he thought. _Maybe these guys will treat me less like a little kid now. I am supposed to be the Great Angel's champion, after all._

And then,

 _Francis is such a git._

* * *

After about a week of trudging through swamps and long grass,a city skyline slowly appeared on the horizon, framed by the setting sun.

"Made it!" Gilbert grinned and pumped his fist. "We're coming, West!"

"Where should we stop for the night?" Lizzie asked, looking at the city borders apprehensively. "Should we wait until morning to enter the city?"

"Yeah, the Fortis city can actually be a pretty dangerous place at night." Gilbert scowled, clearly relieving a bad memory.

The next morning, Arthur, who had last watch, roused the others. "Let's get going."

Gilbert stretched, already smiling at the prospect of seeing his brother. "This way!"

They followed the Fortis through several streets with little activity, as it was still pretty early. A large building with a foreboding aura loomed up ahead of them.

"Is that were you live?" asked Francis distastefully.

"Yeah. Something wrong with it?" Gilbert shot back.

Francis sniffed disdainfully. " _Non_."

"Translation: yes," Arthur murmured.

Gilbert ran up to the building and flattened himself up against the wall. He peered around sneakily before opening the door slowly.

"Phew," he exhaled. "Looks like no one's home right now."

The rest of the group entered cautiously. There was training equipment and mats everywhere. "Gilbert... You live in a training school?" Lizzie asked.

Gilbert sighed. "Yeah. Long story. Let's go to my room."

They walked up the stairs, the eerie silence following them.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Lizzie whispered.

Gilbert looked unsettled. "It's not usually this empty."

They reached what was presumably Gilbert and his brother's room. The Fortis slowly opened the door and peeked in. All was clean and orderly, except for one high-backed swivel chair in the middle of the room, facing away from him.

"All clear," Gilbert whispered, and tiptoed in, the other three behind him. When they reached the middle, the door suddenly swung shut. When Arthur whirled around, he met the gaze of a small bear standing in front of it.

"Uh, guys." Arthur swallowed. "There's a bit of a problem."

Gilbert, however, was staring at the chair in horror as it swung around to face him.

The others just had enough time to see a tall figure sitting in the chair before it lunged towards Gilbert and knocked him onto the floor.

"What do we do!?" panicked Lizzie as they darted around the room to avoid the wrestling pair.

"I'm not going to interfere," Francis promised, retreating to a corner.

Arthur had drawn back to the door, next to the bear. The cub merely sniffed him curiously, but didn't seem hostile. That just made the Omnes miss Spirit even more.

Lizzie could only catch flashes of the boy grappling with Gilbert, but she manged to make out blond hair, a green uniform, and a furious face.

"West..." Gilbert choked out. "Let go of my throat!"

"Like _Hölle_ I will!" 'West' growled. _"Verdammt, bruder,_ you left without telling me, without a note, just leaving me to think that something horrible had happened! You completely deserve all of this!" He held Gilbert pinned on the floor.

"Look, I didn't have much choice!" Gilbert protested. "The Goddess told me to-"

"Oh, so now you have divine excuses, huh?" 'West' snorted. "I don't know your real reason, but you-"

"Stop."

Gilbert and 'West' both looked up, surprised.

Arthur stood before them, his cloak swishing, regarding them impassively. "Are you Gilbert's brother?"

'West' stood up, finally releasing Gilbert. "Yes. And you are?"

"I am Arthur Kirkland. I am the Great Angel's champion, and these are my companions."

Lizzie scrambled to stand beside Arthur; she had never seen him so serious and commanding before. Francis warily came to stand beside them as well.

'West' raised his eyebrows. "Great Angel? So my worthless _bruder_ wasn't just spouting nonsense, then?"

Gilbert coughed. "See, West, I told you! We're the heroes from the legend!"

'West' was about to respond sharply, but Arthur held up his hand. "It is true," he said firmly. "I am the Omnes. Francis is the Docte. Lizzie is one of the Bellators. You and your brother are the Fortis."

'West' stared at him for a second, a calculating look on his face. Finally, he sighed and rubbed his forehead. He went to a desk on the left side of the room, sat down, and picked up a pen. He hesitated for a moment, then started to scribble something on a piece of paper.

"What're you writing, West?" Gilbert asked, rubbing his throat.

"A note to the instructors, telling them we'll be leaving for an undefined amount of time," 'West' said without looking at him.

Gilbert grinned. "Kesesesese! That's my brother!"

Lizzie cleared her throat. "Um, Mr. West?"

The tall boy sighed again. "No matter what my idiot brother tells you, my name is actually Ludwig. Please address me as such."

Lizzie coloured slightly and shot Gilbert a furious look. "I'm really sorry, Ludwig. Gilbert never told us that your name wasn't actually West."

Ludwig snorted. "Just because I got the left side of our room, he got it stuck in his head that he has to call me 'West' now."

"Do you call him 'East'?" Francis asked.

Ludwig smirked. "No. I usually call him idiot."

"Ouch, West!" Gilbert faked a hurt look. "That's no way to treat your good ol' big brother!"

Lizzie chuckled. "Good one, Gil. Everyone can see that you're the younger one."

"What? No!" Gilbert protested. "I really am older! Tell them, West!"

"As much as I loath to say it, Gilbert is indeed older than me." Ludwig rolled his eyes. "The way he acts, however..."

"Okay, okay," Gilbert laughed. "That's enough picking on the awesome me."

Arthur slapped the map down on Ludwig's desk. "Enough. This is our map and approximate route. Commit it to memory," he ordered.

Ludwig looked up at the short boy. "Who is your navigator?"

Francis flipped his hair dramatically (because he could). "We do not have one."

Ludwig studied the map briefly. "I could fill that role."

Arthur nodded. "Good." He marched over to the door and opened it. "Now, where can we find those weapons?"

Ludwig stood abruptly and faced his brother. "What weapons?" he asked dangerously.

Gilbert laughed nervously. "The ones downstairs?"

Ludwig put his face close to Gilbert's and growled in German, " _You promised them weapons?_ "

Gilbert looked anxiously from his brother to Arthur. He knew that Ludwig wanted to keep the conversation private, but he didn't know that Arthur could understand basically all the languages that anyone could be bothered to speak. " _Um, West..._ "

" _You know that the instructor will flay us alive if we steal weapons!_ " Ludwig roared.

Arthur's eyes widened, and Gilbert desperately tried to shut his brother up. " _Now would be a really good time to stop talking, West! Arthur can-_ "

" _To hell with your interruptions! You can't just leave without telling the instructor and then steal weapons afterwards! Do you know what he did to me when he found out you were gone!?_ "

Gilbert's eyes narrowed. " _What happened, West?_ "

Ludwig backed up. "I didn't mean to say that..." he muttered in English. "Forget it."

" _Gilbert, Ludwig, we don't have to take weapons,_ " Arthur told the Fortis' in German.

Ludwig looked stunned. " _I didn't know you spoke-_ "

" _Get used to it, West,_ " Gilbert sighed. " _Now please tell me what the instructor did to you so I can repay him back tenfold._ " He punched his fist into the other hand threateningly, his crimson eyes filled with anger.

Ludwig shook his head. " _It was nothing, brother. I overreacted._ "

"Excuse me!" Francis burst out. "I know you are having your little 'private moment', but I think it is quite rude! Lizzie and I cannot understand, and we are getting annoyed."

Arthur heaved a sigh. "Let's leave these two to make the decision." He beckoned Francis and Lizzie out, and turned to the taller Fortis. " _Listen, Ludwig, we don't need to get weapons from here if it endangers you two._ "

With that, he left, leaving just Gilbert and Ludwig in the room.

Ludwig sat down in the chair and sighed heavily. Gilbert towered over him. "Tell me, West."

Ludwig turned away. "He punished me. That's all."

Gilbert clenched his fist. "I thought he was humane enough to spare a 15 year old... I guess I was wrong. That _arschloch_!"

"It wasn't that bad, Gilbert. Only a lashing."

"Only? _Only!?_ " Gilbert growled. "I'll _kill_ him!"

Ludwig rose and held Gilbert by the shoulders. "That's enough! You're getting out of hand!"

"Oh, am I?" the albino snarled. His red eyes seemed to glow with rage.

"Do I have to restrain you again?" Ludwig hissed.

Gilbert responded by storming over to the door and grabbing the handle.

"NO!" Ludwig shouted, tackling his brother and pinning him to the floor.

"Why won't you let me-" Gilbert started furiously.

"Because you're not thinking about the consequences, Gilbert! Take a deep breath and _think_."

Gilbert closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Ludwig grimly shook his head. "There's nothing we can do."

Gilbert opened his eyes calmly. "We're leaving."

"What?"

"I said, we're leaving. We're not coming back here after this quest."

"You're not serious."

"Deadly."

"Brother, think!" Ludwig pleaded. "Where will we live? Where will we get our food?"

"We'll figure that out after. For now, let's grab those weapons and get out." Gilbert pushed Ludwig off of him and grabbed the handle again.

"But Mother and Father-"

"Aren't here," Gilbert finished. "We can't stay here for the rest of our lives. It's time to finally go out and make them proud, just like we promised."

* * *

 _There we go. The updates have been pretty close together so far, but that might change soon. Just a warning. So, maybe leave a review to tell me what you think? Arrivaderci!_


	8. An Unexpected Encounter

As soon as they left the brothers' room, Arthur, Francis, and Lizzie started to explore the empty building.

Lizzie smiled warmly at Arthur. "You handled that very well, Arthur. Where's that shy boy I met a couple of weeks ago?"

The Omnes rubbed the back of his neck. "I just tried to take the fear and turn it into determination," he mumbled. "I may have come off as rude, though..."

Lizzie clapped her hands. "No, I think that's a wonderful strategy!"

" _Oui, mon cher_ ," Francis purred. "We could not have you cowering behind us every time we met someone, now could we?"

"Shut up, frog," Arthur muttered halfheartedly. "And stop treating me like a child."

Francis just chuckled.

"Hey, did you notice that bear?" Lizzie asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Must be Ludwig's companion, huh?" Francis agreed.

"I wonder where ours are," Lizzie frowned.

Arthur sighed. "I...I don't think Spirit or the others are coming back."

"Hey." Lizzie put a hand on his shoulder. "We just have to believe we'll see them again."

Arthur stared at her dully. "What's the point in believing, when you've already lost all hope?"

Lizzie scowled. "Hey!"

Arthur looked up sullenly. "What?"

The Bellator pointed at him. "With that crappy attitude, maybe you don't deserve him coming back!"

Arthur's face slowly got redder. "You know what? You're right, I don't deserve it! Every single thing that was good about my life is _gone_! My parents, my _foster_ parent, Alfred-" He immediately snapped his mouth shut, eyes wide, and turned away.

"Who's Alfred?" Francis asked, confused.

Arthur pulled his hood up over his head and pushed ahead. He knocked into Lizzie in his haste, and she caught a glimpse of his face. His emerald eyes were full of rage and desperation.

As Arthur disappeared around a corner, Francis turned to Lizzie. "Am I the only one completely and utterly confused?"

Lizzie rubbed her forehead in thought. "I think we just found out the previous occupant of that forbidden room in Arthur's house."

"His brother, do you think?" Francis offered.

"That reminds me, how has your task of getting to know Arthur better been going?" Lizzie asked, narrowing her eyes.

" _Bien_!" Francis smiled.

Lizzie raised her eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Okay, okay, I've gotten nothing out of him at all," Francis admitted. "He hates me more than he hates everyone else, and that's saying something."

"Well, we know now that he probably had a brother," Lizzie encouraged. "That's a start."

Francis nodded, but then froze. He felt a familiar aura coming from behind them...

"Lizzie," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Don't look now, but there's a shadow monster behind us."

Lizzie clenched her fists. " _Újra?_ _Komolyan?_ We have to find those weapons, now."

They sprinted towards some stairs nearby, the sounds of a large creature unmistakably growing louder behind them.

"I think the weapons are in this room!" Lizzie guessed as she hurled herself past a corner and threw open the door.

"No, wait!" Francis shouted. He didn't know why, but he could sense that there were more shadow creatures in that room.

It was too late. Lizzie screeched to a halt in the doorway as several shadowy masses turned to face them.

"Go back, go back!" She darted past Francis and down another hallway.

"Was this place so big before?" Francis complained.

They reached a break in the hallways. "Left or right?" Lizzie panted.

"Left!" cried Francis immediately.

Lizzie gave him a strange look. "What makes you say that?"

"Because there's a shadow monster down the right hallway, now let's GO!" Francis said in a rush, pulling her to the left turn.

As they were running, Lizzie asked, "How did you know?"

Francis shook his head, increasing his pace. "I don't know, I can just...sense their auras, I guess?"

"Since when?"

Before he could answer, Francis cried out as his arm banged into a random pole placed in a rather unfortunate position in the hall. It throbbed, and suddenly, a blinding bolt of pain struck him. He stumbled and fell over.

"Francis?" Lizzie slowed and turned back. "Are you okay?"

He groaned. "My head..." As he clenched his eyes shut, a rough layout of paths appeared in his vision, with glowing purple blobs dotted among them. They appeared to be moving around in a set path, patrolling the same areas again and again.

He opened his eyes, confused, and Lizzie gasped. "Francis, your eyes!"

" _Quoi_?" he asked dazedly.

"They're glowing a kind of purpley colour," Lizzie said carefully.

"I can see the shadow monsters. They're patrolling the building..." he murmured.

Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows, and her averted her gaze from his eyes, because it was a little unnerving to see them glow with an ethereal light. Her eyes fell on the Docte's arm. "Whoa, since when was your arm bandaged?"

"Don't you remember? We were attacked, and the shadow thing _bit_ me!" Francis said angrily.

"It _bit_ you!?" the Bellator asked in surprise. "I don't remember that!"

"Well, it did, and it hurt! I was surprised that none of you even noticed!" Francis retorted.

"When I try to think of it, it just comes up blank..." Lizzie muttered. "But do you think the bite, uh, did something to you?"

"No time to wonder," Francis said grimly. "There is a _monstre_ right behind us."

Lizzie cursed. "Come on!"

They reluctantly began to run down another hall. Francis closed his eyes again, and saw the layout of the corridors mapped out in his mind. When he opened them, the map was layered over his regular vision. The Docte had no idea how the heck this was happening, but he planned to use it to their advantage. Figuring out where they were on the map, he began to issue orders.

"Left."

"Right."

"Double back."

Finally, they reached a relatively safe corner. Francis sat down on the floor and tried to calm his breathing. Lizzie put her hands on her hips. "Okay, now tell me how you did that."

Francis tried to explain. "When I bumped my damaged arm, it hurt a lot, and then some weird map appeared in my mind. It showed me where the shadows were patrolling."

Lizzie examined his arm. "Can I take off the bandages?" she asked hesitantly. "I want to see the injury."

"One second." Francis examined the internal map. " _D'accord_ , we're clear. Go ahead."

The Bellator carefully unwrapped the cloth from Francis' arm. As the wrapping fell away, they both gasped.

The bite marks were giving off a purpley-black mist that hissed evilly as it escaped. Francis stared at his arm in terror. "What's happening to me?!"

Lizzie backed away, unsettled. "I think the monster might have injected something into you when it bit you."

"You think!? Help me get these back on!" he snapped, struggling to wrap the cloth back around the wound.

Lizzie quickly wound the bandage back on his arm. "So, it gave you the power to sense shadow beings?"

"I guess... But only when they're around, I think," Francis murmured.

"Is it harmful to you?" Lizzie quizzed.

"I don't know! I'll just have to keep the bandages on." Francis hauled himself to his feet. "Can I ask you to keep this a secret from the others?"

"But-" Lizzie objected.

"Please. I don't want them to think I'm a freak or something," he pleaded.

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly.

"I might as well use this skill. I'll try to get us to the room with the weapons safely." Francis plotted a route in his head. "Follow me."

After several tense minutes, Francis finally grabbed the handle of an empty room. "The weapons should be in here."

"Can you see Arthur, Gilbert, or Ludwig? Are they safe?" Lizzie asked worriedly.

Francis shook his head ruefully. " _Désolé_. I can only see the shadows and the basic layout of the maze this building has become."

"Well, we should wait here for them. I wish there was some way we could send a message."

"Maybe there is!" Francis said excitedly. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He reached out to one of the shadow creatures.

"What are you doing!?" Lizzie cried.

"I'm trying to possess a shadow monster, _pourquoi_?"

"You can't do that!" she said incredulously.

As she was saying it, Francis slumped to the ground, unconscious. Lizzie caught him, cursing his recklessness. She dumped him unceremoniously on the ground, then decided she might as well examine the various weapons in the room.

* * *

Arthur had been searching for the weapons room ever since he had almost let his secret slip to his companions and had run away. He swore under his breath when he reached another dead end. "When did this building turn into a maze, anyway?" he grumbled.

He thought about what he had almost revealed. His foster mother, his birth mother's friend, had gladly taken him in when his parents died. She had a son named Alfred, and he and Arthur were just like real brothers. Until everything went wrong, of course.

Five years ago, Alfred had left for the town of Tragoedia, then called Captiosus, to study. While he was there, a shadow army overran the town and completely decimated it, as well as everyone in it. When the news had reached Domum, Alfred's mother had been distraught, and passed away from grief soon after. At the age of ten, Arthur was completely and utterly alone.

He spent the next five years in solitude, never leaving the house when he could avoid it. What was the point? If he made a friend, something bad would obviously happen to them, just like everyone else that he had known. By distancing himself from the population, he was making it safer for everyone.

But now, he was forced to go on this quest with other people, to be around them all the time. It was such a new and unknown feeling, and Arthur didn't really know how to deal with it.

Shaking away his thoughts, he rounded a corner and froze. A hulking, dark monster also froze upon seeing him, then growled menacingly.

"Seriously?" Arthur groaned. He whipped out his tome that was stored in his cloak and yelled, " _Fusione_!" The monster roared in pain as it began to melt. Watching it perish with satisfaction, Arthur turned around and came face to face with _another_ one, this one wearing a strange mask of sorts.

"Ahh!" he cried, heart jumping into his throat.

"Eeek!" it shrieked.

Arthur quickly flipped through the pages of his tome to find a new spell, and raised his hand.

"No, don't shoot!" it panicked. Its voice was deep and gritty, but sounded kind of foreign.

"Why are you talking? You're not supposed to, because I'm about to kill you."

Arthur started the spell. " _Bruci_ -"

"No, please! You really don't want to kill me!" it pleaded. "I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah," Arthur said, bored. "I don't usually talk with my prey."

"What are you, an animal?" it huffed. "As I was trying to tell you before, I'm-"

"Wait, wait, wait. How can you talk?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"I'm about to tell you something important, but you keep interrupting me!" it said, annoyed.

"Well, I should just kill you right now! Be glad you're talking at all!" Arthur scoffed.

"Why are you always so infuriating?" it muttered.

"I'm not! Wait, how the heck would you know?" he demanded.

The creature swept its long, grotesque arms in an unmistakeable bow. "Your guide, at your service to lead you to a certain Francis Bonnefoy," it said, deliberately avoiding the question.

Arthur was silent for a second, then he burst out laughing. "Whew... That's a good one, monster. I don't know how you found out the name of my friend, but-"

He bit his lip, cutting himself off. Did he just call Francis...?

The monster looked amused. "Yes, well, your _friend_ is waiting. Please follow me."

"Why should I?" he snapped.

"Do we really have to go over this again?" it sighed. "Look, let's just make this easy for both of us and get it over with. Follow me."

"I don't have any reason to trust you. I don't know how you can talk, but you're probably going to lead me into an ambush," Arthur spat.

" _Pour l'amour des_ _déesses_! I swear, you're going to drive me insane one of these days!" it cried. Before Arthur could respond, the creature grabbed his arm and began to pull him.

"Hey! Let go!" Arthur cried, trying to tug himself away.

"No. You are being stubborn, so I'm going to take you there myself."

Arthur wrenched himself away. "I can bloody walk by myself, thank you!"

"So, are you going to follow me now?" it asked, pleased.

"I'm going to follow you, destroy the ambush you lead me to, then kill you," he grumbled.

The creature laughed. It sounded quite frightening in the mouth of the monstrosity, like strangled screaming, and Arthur couldn't help blanching at the sound.

Spotting him, the monster ducked its head. "Sorry."

Arthur merely gave it a contemptuous look and ignored it.

* * *

Gilbert and Ludwig had been living in the training building for practically their whole lives, but they _still_ couldn't find their way to the weapons room.

"Gah! This place has turned into a freaking maze!" Gilbert growled.

"Patience. We'll find our way eventually."

"How can you be so calm, West?" Gilbert whined. "Isn't it strange to find your home transformed like this? Where is everyone else, anyways?"

"They went out," Ludwig answered. "Something about the Fortis museum of war, I think."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I had a feeling that I should stay in my room. Apparently, I was right."

"Well, I'm glad you did, I guess. It must have been my awesomeness."

As they doubled back at another dead end, Gilbert thought he detected a strange sound. It sounded like something big stomping on the floor.

"West? Can you hear that?"

" _Ja_. What is it?"

"I dunno, but I have a hunch." Gilbert recalled the encounter with the shadow at the river. Could it be...?

As he was shaking the suspicion from his mind, one of the very shadow creatures he had just dismissed the thought of came lumbering up to them.

"Oh, for the love of..." he groaned.

"What is that, Gilbert?" Ludwig asked calmly.

"That's a...well, we don't really have a name for it, but we just call them shadow creatures. You know, from the legend."

"And it's here to kill us?"

"Yeah."

"So we should leave the immediate area as soon as possible?"

"Probably."

"Then let's go."

"Gladly."

They both began to run in the opposite direction of the monster.

"West, where are the damn weapons?" Gilbert panted.

"First, let's focus on losing this thing. Then we can worry about finding our way."

After several turns through the maze of hallways, the sound of pounding feet fell behind them, and once they had rounded a few more curves, the noise stopped all together.

"Whew!" Gilbert exhaled. "I hope we don't run into any more of-"

"Brother, stop. You're going to jinx it," Ludwig sighed.

Gilbert grinned. "Nah. Me saying, 'I hope there aren't any more' isn't going to-"

As he was speaking, a monster with a strange mask pranced up to them.

"Eek!" Gilbert shrieked.

Ludwig smirked. "I will make sure to tell everyone about that later."

The albino coughed, embarrassed. "Whatever. What do we do now?"

"You follow me, of course!"

"West, who said that?" asked Gilbert quietly.

Ludwig shook his head. "It was not me."

The monster tapped Gilbert on the shoulder. "Didn't you hear me? I said, follow me!"

Gilbert backed away from it. "I think I'm going crazy."

'There's no way we're following _you,_ " Ludwig said scathingly.

The creature swept its arm out. "I think you will. I'd like you to meet my companion."

Silence. No one moved.

"Are we supposed to be impressed right now?" Gilbert asked, yawning.

The creature rubbed its head, an oddly human-like gesture. "He fell behind a little. He should be here any second now."

A faint voice echoed from down the hall. "Why do you tell me to follow you and then _leave me behind_?"

The monster nodded. "There we go."

Gilbert looked confused. "Is that...?"

Arthur stumbled into the junction they were all crowded in. "Thanks for nothing, you-" His eyes widened. "Gilbert? Ludwig?"

"Arthur?" Gilbert shook his head. "Wait, what's going on here?"

Arthur gestured to the shadow. "This thing can somehow talk."

"Yes, we got that," Ludwig said dryly.

"Where are Francis and Lizzie?" Gilbert asked worriedly. "You left with them, right?"

Arthur looked abashed. "I ran away," he mumbled extremely quietly.

"What? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I ran away from them, okay?" Arthur snapped.

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "What did Francis do this time?"

"No, it wasn't that. I just... I made a mistake, and I panicked, and I ran away from them. I didn't know I would get lost in this maze."

"So how are we supposed to find them?" Gilbert asked anxiously.

"This thing says that it'll lead us to Francis." Arthur scowled, clearly not believing the creature in the slightest.

"Now that I've found you all, can we get going?" the creature asked impatiently.

"Hold on. Why should we believe you?" Gilbert asked.

The creature held its head. "Oh, for the Goddess' sake!"

* * *

Francis groaned inwardly. He had been trying to convince these blockheads to follow him for longer than he would've liked to, and they were still suspicious! Granted, they were right to be, seeing as he was possessing a shadow monster, but he had given them enough reason to believe him by now.

"What do I have to do to convince you to just come with me?" he asked.

"First of all, prove you're not leading us to an ambush," Ludwig ordered.

Francis would have rolled his eyes if he was in his own body. "Okay. I'm leading you to Francis and Elizabeta, not an ambush."

"How do you know their names?" Gilbert asked.

"Because Francis sent me to get you!"

"You know, lesson one in child safety is to never follow a stranger that says that they're there because your parent sent them to pick you up," said Gilbert, smirking.

Francis sighed at the weird analogy. "How about you ask me a question, and if I can answer it, you follow me?"

Arthur considered it. " _Any_ question?"

Francis nodded, and the three huddled to presumably come up with the hardest question they could muster.

 _If they don't come with me, I could just carry them all_ , he mused to himself.

"Okay," Arthur announced. "We've actually got three."

"Fire away," Francis said languidly.

"First is the easiest. How do you salute the Docte way?"

Francis put his hands behind his back and bowed with some difficulty. "How's that?"

Arthur scowled. "Like I said, that was the easy one. Question two: what are all of our surnames?"

"Arthur Kirkland, Elizabeta Héderváry, Gilbert and Ludwig Beilschmidt, and Francis Bonnefoy," Francis listed. "Did I get them all?"

Gilbert looked worried. "What are the chances it would know that?" he hissed to the others.

Arthur shook him off grimly. "Last question. How many family members do I have?"

Francis smiled sadly on the inside. "Arthur, you do not have any family left. Your mother and father died when you were little, and your foster mother and brother died soon after." Francis was kind of guessing that last part from the information Arthur had recently let slip, and he prayed it was correct.

Arthur looked stunned. "N-no one knows that..." He clenched his fists and glared at Francis, his eyes full of a murderous aura. "How do you know that?!" he screamed. "Have you shadow monsters been spying on me?!"

Francis backed up nervously. That escalated quickly... He really hoped he wouldn't be forced to reveal his secret.

Ludwig placed a calming hand on Arthur's shoulder. "It answered all the questions correctly. We have to go with it to honour our agreement."

Arthur whirled around. "You don't understand! I asked it that question because no one but me knows the answer, but _it was right_!"

Gilbert eyed Francis warily. "Maybe we'll find out why when we follow it."

Francis avoided looking at any of them. "Yes, we should go now."

He trudged towards himself and Lizzie. His map was enlarged in shadow monster form, and he could clearly pinpoint his own body in the maze.

Behind him, he could hear frantic whispering and could almost _feel_ Arthur's glare. He decided that he shouldn't talk any more until they got there, just in case he let slip even more information to suggest that he was more than he seemed.

Once they finally made it to the hallway that had the weapons room in it, he turned to face his reluctant companions. "The weapons room is the door on the right," he said, indicating the door. "It's been a pleasure travelling with you, and have a nice day."

Francis closed his eyes and collapsed. He felt his consciousness rushing back to his own body, and the feeling of sinking back into his own skin. After wearing the ill-fitting shadow monster's skin for that long, it was a relief to be back in his own body.

He opened his eyes and saw Lizzie browsing weapons calmly.

"Hey," she said, when she noticed him. "Did you find them?"

He got to his feet with some difficulty, noting that Lizzie seemed to be over the initial shock at discovering his new ability. " _Oui_. They should be outside."

She showed him a polished sword hanging at her belt. "I scored this sweet sword and belt. I think I'm good for weapons now, though I might take a another, smaller sword just in case. What do you think?"

Francis was about to answer, but was cut off by a scream coming from outside.

"That's Gilbert's voice!" Francis said worriedly.

Lizzie sniggered. "Are you sure? It sounds like a girl."

Francis sighed. "Yes, I know. But, the fact that he is screaming probably means that when I released my hold on the shadow monster, it decided that it wasn't friendly and helpful after all. Which means-"

"That it's time for a smackdown," Lizzie finished, eyes blazing. She had a maniacal grin on her face.

She charged towards the door. Francis grabbed the first weapon he saw- a cutlass- and ran to join her.

Back outside, Arthur was holding up his tome defensively. "Some friend you are!" he yelled. "I knew this was a trick!"

Gilbert was still hiding behind Ludwig, who was scolding him for being a wimp while dodging blows from the creature.

Just as all seemed lost, Lizzie burst out the door dramatically and engaged the monster in combat. Francis stepped out after her and waved sarcastically.

"Hi, guys!" the Bellator said cheerfully as she dodged a swipe from the monster and returned one of her own.

"Your _friends_ , here to save the damsels in distress," Francis smirked.

Arthur, Gilbert, and Ludwig all froze.

"W-what?" Gilbert managed.

"Lovely soprano, by the way, Gilbert," Lizzie chuckled.

"No way! The awesome me wouldn't make that sound! It was West!" he protested.

Ludwig gave his brother a disgusted look. "In your dreams, numbskull."

Francis laughed at the comment. No one really knew why.

"So that thing _was_ a guide?" Arthur asked, confused. "But it's also a bad guy?"

Francis lazily cut the monster's arm as it swiped at him. "More or less."

"Could you just give me a straight answer for once in your life?" Arthur fumed.

"If you must know, I managed to convince this monster to lead you here. How was I to know that it would attack you?" Francis said, leaving the monster to Lizzie.

"You also apparently told it all of our full names and Arthur's life story, which nobody knows," Gilbert added.

Francis winced. "Did I?"

There was a wailing sound as the monster melted into streaks of purple and faded. Lizzie sheathed her sword and grinned. "Any more?"

Gilbert noticed her sword. "Awesome! Where can I get one?"

"Follow me, everyone," Lizzie chuckled and led them inside. Weapons of every kind lined the shelves.

"West, look at this axe," Gilbert said, pointing to a heavy-looking blade. "I beat the instructor in a fight with this once, remember?"

"You were quite adept at it," Ludwig agreed.

Gilbert picked it off the wall and swung it with ease. "I think I'm taking this baby."

Ludwig chose a slightly sharper looking, but smaller, axe. "I will take this one."

"You know what, I think I'm going to bring another sword just in case," Lizzie decided. She picked a slightly smaller, but still deadly sharp, blade off of a table.

Francis regarded his hastily chosen weapon. "I am becoming quite fond of this cutlass. I will keep it."

Arthur was browsing a bookshelf. "You have tomes here?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, but no one ever used them, so they should still be at full charge," Gilbert said.

Arthur picked out a few and browsed them, sticking them in his cloak when he had chosen some.

"Now that we're all equipped, how are we going to get out of this building and to the Fortis temple?" Lizzie asked.

Francis gave her a glance that clearly said, _stay quiet._ "Follow me," he muttered, and slipped out the door.

"What is that bloody idiot doing?" Arthur raged. "He'd going to get himself killed!"

Francis poked his head back in the room. "Nice to see you care about me so much," he said dryly. "Now please keep it down and follow me."

"How do you know where to go?" Ludwig asked. "Me and my brother have lived here for years, and we still couldn't navigate the halls."

"No questions," Francis said slyly, and disappeared again.

Arthur quickly darted after him, followed by Lizzie and the two Fortis.

Francis led them through the halls, muttering to himself, looking as if he was watching something no one else could see. Once, he violently pulled them all into an empty room and insisted that they shut up. Everyone heard the oily stomping of a shadow creature outside the door a few seconds after he did this. The creature paused, but moved on. Francis kept avoiding his companion's questioning gazes.

Finally, they reached the front door.

"Here we are," Francis announced.

"Great. Now tell me how the _bloody hell_ you did that," Arthur demanded.

Francis stared at the slowly setting sun. He didn't say anything.

Lizzie smiled at Arthur gently. "I'm sure there was an explanation, but we're all tired now. Let's get out of this city and make camp, and we'll decide what to do in the morning, okay?"

"Fine," Arthur snapped. He turned to Ludwig. "As our navigator, I expect you to plot a route tomorrow, once I tell you our overall plan."

"Okay," Ludwig said mildly. He didn't seem to be affected by Arthur's flaring temper.

"We should leave before the sun fully sets," Gilbert said nervously. "This city really isn't safe at night."

Ludwig's eyes widened. "We have to get out of this area _right_ _now_ ," he said urgently.

"What is it?" asked Lizzie, seeing his panicked expression.

"I can see the instructor and the rest of the kids down the street," said Ludwig, deceptively calm. "When he sees Gilbert, he's going to punish him _severely_."

Gilbert blanched. "Okay, we're out of here."

He took off running in the direction of the city gates, followed closely by Ludwig, Lizzie, Arthur, and Francis bringing up the rear. It was rather hard for them to run full tilt without impaling themselves on their weapons, but they somehow managed.

Luckily, they were quite close to the exit, so they made it to the gate without too much trouble. Until, of course, they were just about to step outside.

* * *

 _Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed, and reviewed! I swear I had something to tell you here, but I forgot...so arrivaderci!_


	9. Trials To Face

"Hey," called a voice. "You need to pay."

A very tall boy stepped out of the shadow of the gate. He had piercing blue eyes behind small glasses. At his side was a shorter boy with blond hair. He looked rather cheerful, in contrast to his partner's intimidating aura.

"What?" Gilbert spluttered. "You don't need to pay to leave the city!"

"You do now," the tall boy said sarcastically. "'S a new rule."

"Sorry!" the shorter boy said apologetically. "I'm afraid this is a robbery. Please hand over your money, and my partner won't have to use force."

There was a rustling sound behind the group, and they turned to find three other boys behind them, blocking their escape. One had sticking-up, wind swept hair and a slightly smug grin. The second had eyes devoid of emotion and a strange curl floating by his head, seemingly held up by a cross-shaped hairclip. The last had silver hair and a bored look on his face. The setting sun painted their features in red.

"We don't have any money," Arthur snarled. "So you're wasting your time."

The boy that had spoken before frowned. "Oh, dear. It looks like you're choosing the hard way."

A small white dog pushed its way through the gap between the two boys and sniffed the five suspiciously. It turned back to the shorter boy and barked.

"Hanatamago says that you do, in fact, have money on your person," the boy said, bending over to pet his dog. "So you are going to hand it over."

Gilbert snorted. "What kind of name is Hanatamago?"

The tall, scary boy grunted. "He wanted to name her Sardine-Panic, but I convinced him not to."

"Berwald!" the boy complained. "Why did you tell them that?"

They boy with spiky hair behind them laughed. "Looks like your secret is out, Tino!"

Tino sighed, exasperated. "Now they know our names!"

"That was mostly your fault," the one with silver hair pointed out.

Berwald glared at him. "Shut up, Emil."

"Might as well just tell them the rest of our names, now!" Tino shouted, throwing up his hands. "That's Mathias and that's Lukas!"

Ludwig made a sound of recognition. "You're the Nordic Five."

"What's that?" asked Lizzie.

"We're a gang!" Mathias shouted excitedly. "The most notorious in all of Fortis City!"

"Never heard of you," Gilbert smirked.

Just then, as if things could get any weirder, a voice echoed from behind Tino and Berwald. "Aha! I've found them!"

Everyone, even the Nordic Five, swivelled around to face whoever had spoken. A boy with glasses and dirty blond hair was grinning at them excitedly.

"Oh, no," Emil groaned. "It's _him._ "

"Raivis! Come here!" the boy called. Another boy, who was much shorter and had curly caramel coloured hair, came running up to stand with his partner.

"What?" he panted.

"I found the Nordic Five!" the first boy said triumphantly.

"Look, Eduard," Mathias said, his voice pained. "Please go away. We're in the middle of something."

Eduard shook his head. "No! You've gotta let me become a Nordic! It's my dream! Right, Raivis?"

"Yeah," Raivis said halfheartedly.

Tino sighed. "Eduard, you can't become a Nordic right now. Go home."

"Are you assaulting these people?" Eduard asked, noticing the group for the first time. "Can I help?"

"No, we're not going to hurt them," Lukas said softly.

"Just go away," Tino pleaded. "We'll talk to you later, okay?"

"But that's what you said last time..." Eduard pouted.

Raivis sighed and began to drag him away. "Let's go, Eduard."

The two groups watched them silently until they were out of sight.

"What are we doing again?" Gilbert asked, yawning.

"I'm honestly wondering that myself," Emil said dryly.

Tino stomped his foot. "This is a _robbery_! Berwald, restrain the short one!"

Berwal heaved a sigh and wrapped his large arms around Arthur before anyone could stop him. Arthur struggled violently, but Berwald was very strong.

Tino smiled, his face suddenly cold, calculating. "Now that we have a hostage, will you cooperate?"

Francis shrugged. "Will you let the rest of us go if you keep him?"

Arthur's eyes widened, but Berwald's hand was over his mouth, so he couldn't do anything but make a noise of outrage.

Lizzie looked at Francis in shock. "Are you crazy?"

Francis stared back icily. "The quest must go on, no matter the cost."

Tino looked like he was seriously considering it.

"We have no need for keeping hostages," Lukas said, glaring at Tino. "There is nothing worse than abandoning your comrades."

"Why should we care?" Emil shrugged. "We're currently robbing them! Who cares about ethics?"

"We will not take hostages," Lukas said firmly.

"Well, what do we do if they don't give us the money?" Tino whined.

"You five are the most incompetent gang I've ever seen," muttered Gilbert.

Berwald held Arthur a little tighter. The Omnes' face was paling as he struggled to breathe.

"Stop it! You're hurting Arthur!" Lizzie cried. "We really don't have any money!"

A strange bird flew up to rest on Emil's head. "She's telling the truth, kid!" he squawked in Emil's ear.

Emil winced. "Mr. Puffin, please don't yell right into my ear."

"Wow, you guys are the best at naming," Gilbert said before he could stop himself.

Tino stepped forward, choosing to ignore him. "But Hana said that they did have money."

The little white dog scampered up to rest on Tino's shoulder. "Okay, I was wrong," she said irritably. "They just have the smell of it on them. Wherever they were last is full of the stuff."

Gilbert cast a worried glance at Arthur. Berwald still hadn't loosened his hold. "We'll tell you the address!" he promised. "You can steal all you want from there. It's really easy to get in!"

Tino thought it over. "Berwald, release Arthur."

Berwald took his arms away from Arthur, who collapsed onto his knees, panting.

"Where is the building?" Mathias asked.

Gilbert quickly gave him directions, and the infamous Nordic Five departed, Gilbert waving cheerily to Mathias for a reason that frankly, no one cared about.

Meanwhile, Arthur was clutching his throat and taking shuddering gasps. Lizzie was crouching next to him and murmuring words the rest if them couldn't hear.

"Now that they're gone, we can keep going," Francis said, not even looking at Arthur.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" Lizzie yelled, standing up. "You shouldn't even _consider_ leaving a member behind! Were you actually serious?"

Francis was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "I meant what I said. The quest must be completed, at any cost."

"Did that stuff mess with your brain?" Lizzie hissed quietly. "We're a _team_!"

Francis pushed her away, gently but firmly. He continued walking out the gate.

Ludwig followed, studying the map. "I suggest we stop here for the night, before it gets too late."

Arthur stayed at the back of the group, rubbing his throat. He had pulled up his hood, a clear sign that he didn't want to talk to anybody. What little trust he had in Francis had been completely shattered.

When they had reached the place, Gilbert and Lizzie made a fire and Ludwig pulled some food out of their packs. Every time they stopped at a new place, they had to stock up, as they were telling the truth when they said they had no money.

After a meagre meal of rations, they set up the bedrolls. It was a quiet evening; no one wanted to talk to each other, not after an event like that. One by one, they all dropped off to sleep, Ludwig taking first watch.

* * *

Francis abruptly opened his eyes and looked around, but he knew immediately that he was dreaming. He could tell because he was standing in an empty field, covered in gently waving green grass. There was nothing but said grass for as far as he could see.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in front of him. A figure appeared in the light. It was down on all fours, and quite large.

"B-beau?" Francis stuttered.

The glow faded. An animal with a pure silver coat with a dappling of black spots and pointy ears with little tufts of fur on them regarded Francis calmly.

"No," it finally said in a surprisingly soft voice. "I am not your fox. But you will see him again."

"What...er, _who_ are you?" Francis asked.

"All you need to know is that I am your friend," the animal said reassuringly. "I am the silver lynx, Matthew."

" _Mathieu_? That is your name?"

"Yes. We must part for now, but we will meet again. Tell no one about our encounter," Matthew commanded as the world around Francis started to fade.

"Wait! Why am I here? Why can't I tell anyone?" Francis cried, but it was too late. He had already woken up into the real world, being shaken by Ludwig.

"Wha-?" he said, confused. This dream was fading from his mind, but one bit remained: the image of the lynx, as well as a rather odd detail: the strange curl poking out from its head.

"It is your turn for watch," the Fortis said guardedly.

 _Everyone is acting that way around me,_ Francis noted. _Just because I-_

"Didn't you hear me? Get you butt over there," Ludwig whispered harshly.

Francis obligingly got up and sat down on the rock that Ludwig had been using.

He thought about the events with the Nordic Five. Why hadn't anyone understood? It was the oldest bluffing tactic in the book! You pretend to comply to the assailant's wishes, then sneak back and take whatever you lost back from right under their unsuspecting noses. That's why he had kept up the act, even when the gang had left, because you never know who might be watching. Everyone learned that pretty early on, where Francis came from.

 _Where I come from._

Of _course_. He was the only Docte. The Goddess of Wiliness' brood. Everyone else was from the groups where bravery was the code of life, and to betray someone was unthinkable. They honestly didn't understand Francis' way of thinking.

 _Arthur is going to hate me for the rest of the quest if I don't resolve this now,_ Francis realized.

He looked around to make sure that they were safe for the moment, and crawled over to Arthur's bedroll. "Arthur," he hissed, shaking the Omnes.

"Five more minutes, Al," Arthur murmured.

Francis was torn between waking up Arthur _now_ or waiting to see if he would let any more information slip. The decision was made for him, however, when Arthur opened his eyes and stared straight into Francis'.

It took Arthur one second to process exactly _who_ was invading his personal space before he leaped back with a curse. "Get out of my face, frog!"

"Arthur," Francis whispered. "I need to talk to you."

"Oh, sure you do," Arthur spat quietly. "No, wait, you actually want to betray me!"

"Arthur, hear me out,' Francis pleaded. "It will make sense after-"

" _No._ " Arthur crossed his arms, eyes flaring.

Francis hesitated. "If I tell you how the monster led you to me and Lizzie, will you listen to my reason?"

Arthur frowned, his dislike for Francis battling with his natural curiosity. Finally, he gave in. "Alright. I'll listen to you," he said reluctantly.

Francis smiled and beckoned him back to the rock. "Sit here," he instructed.

Arthur sat down and yawned, now acting indifferent. "Your story better be good."

Francis showed him his bandaged arm. "Do you know where I got this?"

Arthur scowled uncertainly. "You got it from...uh..."

"The shadow monster at the lake," Francis supplied.

"Really? It hurt you?"

" _Oui,_ but everyone seemed to either forget or not notice in the first place. The reason is..." Francis faltered.

"Go on," Arthur urged, forgetting his apathetic front.

The Docte sighed. "Perhaps I'll just show you."

He began to unwrap the bandages, letting them fall away. His arm was still exuding the purple-black mist, but it wasn't as intense as before, as it was when he was around the shadow monsters.

Arthur stared at the rather grotesque marks, a look of terror on his face. "What the _hell_ are those?"

"The bite marks are infected," Francis explained. "I can sense when shadow monsters are nearby."

"And the 'guide'?" Arthur asked skeptically.

"That was me," Francis admitted. "I possessed the _ombra_ and found you three."

"The what?"

"Ah, sorry. When I was in the monster's mind, I found out that they are actually called the _ombre._ "

"We should call them that from now on," Arthur murmured. "And you _possessed_ it...? Um, please keep going."

"When we were lost and trapped in the Fortis building, Lizzie and I discovered these... _powers_ of mine. I do not know how the work, I have merely been operating on instinct. However, I believe they only work when we are near the _ombre._ Does that make sense?"

"No," Arthur said truthfully.

"I know," Francis sighed. "But it's all I know about it, myself."

"Fine. Now that you've shared that, go ahead with your _amazing_ explanation of your reason for treason," Arthur said grumpily.

"I am Docte," Francis said. "Do you know the way of the Docte?"

"Not really," muttered Arthur. "I'm not well educated on the ways of the other clans."

"Well, our patron Goddess is Callidum," Francis explained. "She is the Goddess of Wiliness."

Arthur opened his mouth to interrupt, but Francis shushed him with a pointed look.

"We are taught from childhood that fights should be avoided at all costs. Confrontations are the worst things that can happen, so we use any method possible to steer clear of them."

Arthur lowered his eyes. "Including…"

"Including faking giving the hostiles what they want, then slipping back and swiping it back after," Francis finished gently. "I never would have left you behind, Arthur. I was just exhibiting what skills have been hammered into my mind since birth."

Arthur was silent. Then he punched him on the arm. "Even if I believe you, I still don't like you, frog."

Francis rubbed his arm ruefully. "I know, I know."

They settled into a comfortable silence. Francis was glad that Arthur had chosen to believe him, but there was still the issue of his secret.

"Arthur," the Docte began. "Will you do me the honour of keeping my secret?"

Arthur bit his lip. "It's a pretty big secret. I don't know if…"

"Lizzie already knows," Francis said urgently. "But I am afraid that Gilbert and Ludwig will not be as accepting as you two. Until I figure my...condition out, please refrain from telling anyone."

Arthur sighed. "Fine. ...But only because it's in my best interests to finish the quest without internal conflict! I'm not doing it for you!"

Francis merely laughed. "Whatever you say, Arthur."

Arthur huffed. "I'm going back to sleep. Goodbye."

" _Bonne nuit_ , Arthur," Francis smiled.

* * *

Afterwards, the group travelled southwest, towards the Fortis temple. Ludwig proved to be a very adept navigator, plotting their path with a sense of foresight. The issue with Francis had been resolved, but Francis did notice that Lizzie was becoming more distant towards him, choosing to spend more time with Arthur than anyone else. She seemed to think herself a big sister towards him, and tried to fill in the gap in his life where a sister figure would be. Gilbert was very happy to be with his brother again, and they often had friendly arguments about this and that. Nobody really wanted to talk to Francis, unless they had to. Francis acted like he wasn't too bothered, but it still hurt him on the inside.

He had dreams with the silver lynx Matthew in them almost every night, but never told the others about him. In the dreams, Matthew sat down and let Francis lean on him and share his troubles. Francis found himself telling the lynx his deepest feelings. His sadness at being ignored, his worry that everyone thought he was a monster, his fear for the eventual battle with the _ombre_. Matthew always listened, no matter what he talked about.

Gradually, though the journey to the Fortis temple took a fortnight at most, the others began to act more friendly around him again. Francis was just glad to be part of the group again, and tried his hardest to not act too _Docte_ around them, as no one seemed to like that. The dreams didn't stop, however. Francis told Matthew less of his problems as his situation improved, but instead, he told him about his life. Matthew never said anything about himself, but seemed content to listen to Francis' life story. After several nights of this, the group was finally in sight of the temple.

"One more night of sitting in the cold and we'll finally have reached our first goal!" Gilbert cheered.

"Then it'll be more nights of sitting in the cold until we reach the next one," Ludwig said dryly.

"Aww, don't ruin my mood, West! I'm just glad that our destination is in sight, _einmal_ ," Gilbert pouted.

"I hope there's extra food there," Lizzie said worriedly, looking into her pack. "We're almost out."

Francis noticed a rose bush sitting randomly nearby. He carefully picked a few roses and hid them. Then he approached Lizzie.

"Allow me to set up our meal tonight," he said helpfully. She looked at him for a moment, a flash of distrust in her eyes, but it was quickly gone and she nodded.

As the others set up camp, Francis arranged what food they had in a beautiful fashion (well, as beautiful as you can get when you're camping in the cold with rations as your only food).

He took the roses from before and arranged them around the meal. He made sure to put a rose directly on Arthur's place, scattering the rest around the area.

"The food is ready!" he called to the others, and they all settled down to eat.

"Wow, Francis," Lizzie commented. "This is really…"

" _Magnifique_?" Francis offered.

"I was going to say 'over the top'," Lizzie smirked. "The roses are a nice touch."

" _Merci,_ " Francis said, ignoring any and all sarcasm.

Arthur was silent as he spotted his place, where the rose innocently lay. He quickly grabbed it and stuffed it in his cloak, but his face was slightly red.

Nobody noticed but Francis, who hoped that meant that all was forgiven, once and for all.

When they all went to sleep with Francis on first watch, Arthur came to sit beside him, crawling over to the watch rock and poking his head up. It reminded Francis of a little rabbit. When Arthur had clambered onto the large rock, he said nothing, but glared into the fire with so much emotion, Francis was expecting it to explode soon.

"What is wrong, Arthur?" Francis asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," Arthur muttered. "All of this is so strange. I don't know what a proper family is. I don't know what friends do. It's extremely confusing for me. We've been on this journey for a few weeks now, but I'm still clueless. What am I supposed to do?"

Francis smiled, a bit surprised and honoured that Arthur was choosing to confide in _him_ , of all people. "You say thank you when someone does something nice for you. You ask them how they are feeling. You support them when they are sad, or lost, or confused."

"Why?" asked Arthur.

"It shows them that you care for them. To love is the best thing you can do for someone. To _be_ loved is the best feeling in the world."

"I don't know that feeling," Arthur said, his voice ragged. "I have no one."

"What about your brother?" Francis asked gently.

"He…" Arthur's voice broke. "I loved him and his mom as if they were my real family. But he's gone. He died. They all died."

"But now you have friends, _non?_ You have us."

Arthur nodded hesitantly.

"Your friends are your greatest allies. They are the ones who will stay by your side at every moment, the good times and the bad times. You can always count on them. We are a family."

Arthur appeared to be thinking Francis' words over deeply. He was silent for a whole minute. When the Omnes' head dropped onto Francis' shoulder, Francis realized that he had fallen asleep.

"Oh, _mon petit lapin,_ " he chuckled. "You are a real mystery."

He let Arthur sleep next to him as he kept watch. When it was Lizzie's turn, Francis tried to lift Arthur, but the boy was like a sack of rocks when he slept, of course. So, he staggered to Arthur's bedroll and pushed the Omnes onto it, which _still_ didn't wake him up, and quickly roused Lizzie for her watch. He went to sleep feeling satisfied.

He did not dream of the silver lynx that night.


	10. Fortis Temple Part 1

_Oh geez, it's been a while since I've updated, huh? Sorry about that. Have this chapter! I don't own Hetalia._

* * *

Lovino sighed, staring out at the beautiful landscape of the Fortis section of Procul. His brother, Feliciano, sat beside him, singing a little song. " _Mawaru mawaru te o totto, mawaru chikyuu rondo~!_ "

"Will you stop that?" Lovino asked grumpily. "It's annoying me."

"Sorry, _fratello_!" Feliciano chirped. "It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Too bad we're stuck guarding this stupid temple!" Lovino grumbled.

"I think it's noble!" Feliciano declared. "We're the protectors of the Fortis temple from the legend!"

Lovino snorted. "Don't tell me you believe that crap. More like the elders from our village got tired of us and exiled us."

Feliciano sniffed. "Don't say that, _fratello_. Please?"

"Whatever," Lovino exhaled, thoroughly fed up with his situation.

Suddenly, Feliciano sat up, shading his eyes. "Hey, isn't that Dorato?"

Sure enough, Lovino's quail, named Dorato, was approaching. Feliciano jumped up and down, waving his arms. Lovino pulled him down, scowling. "Stop that, _idiota_ ," he ordered.

"Aww," Feliciano pouted. "But he has a note."

Inspecting his bird, Lovino realized that he was indeed clutching a piece of paper in his talons. Dorato cooed in greeting as Lovino took the paper from him.

"Read it out loud!" Feliciano begged.

"Fine. _Dear Lovi,_ " he began, curling his lip at the nickname.

" _How are you doing? Guard duty must be so exciting! I'm a little jealous! Anyway, I thought you might want a little taste of home, so I sent your quail with my letter and Feli's lemur with some tomatoes for you two. Buon appetito!_

 _P.S. I miss you and Feli! When will you be home?_

 _Love, Boss (Big Brother) Antonio._ "

"Yay!" Feliciano clapped his hands childishly. "Big brother Antonio sent us tomatoes!"

"Yay," Lovino echoed quietly, half-mockingly.

"Look! There's Silky!" Feli shrieked joyfully. His lemur was dashing towards them with a really big basket held by his tail. He chattered happily as he dropped the basket and leapt onto Feliciano's lap.

Lovino opened the basket. Several luscious, bright red tomatoes rested inside, with a note on top. The writing was unmistakably Antonio's handwriting, only saying " _Enjoy~!_ _-Toni_ ".

"Hey, _fratello,_ what's that?"

Lovino looked up, and saw what his brother was gesturing to. There were silhouettes coming towards them; no doubt travellers.

"Are they from the legend? Are they finally here?!" Feli cried happily, getting even more excited, if that was possible.

"Shut up before you hyperventilate!" Lovin shouted at Feli. "There is no truth to the legend! It's probably just some homeless people looking for shelter!"

Feliciano stood up, hands on his hips. "Lovino Vargas!" he said sternly.

Lovino raised an eyebrow. He didn't get this reaction out of Feli often.

His brother's voice rose with every word. "You know as well as I that the legend _is_ real! We are the special protectors of the Fortis temple and we _will_ aid those travellers _because they are the heroes of the legend!_ "

"Well, thank the Goddesses for that," said an unknown voice. "I'm so tired..."

Feli shrieked and hid behind Lovino as the five mysterious people climbed the final steps up to the entrance.

It was a strange group. There was a boy with messy golden-blond hair and very vibrant green eyes, wrapped in a black cloak and looking tired and upset. Next to him was a girl with long, light brown hair, holding a frying pan as one might hold a deadly weapon, as well as a sword, which _was_ a deadly weapon. A boy with silvery hair and crimson eyes was next to a boy with slicked-back blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The last member was a boy with long, yellow hair and sapphire-blue eyes. They all had friendly smiles (with the exception of the one in the cloak).

"Hey, no need to be scared," comforted the tall boy, focusing his ice-blue eyes on Feli.

" _V-ve_..." Feliciano exhaled, trembling from his strict gaze.

" _Idiota_ ," Lovino hissed again. "Didn't you say these were the heroes? Why don't you do your _duty,_ huh?"

"R-right!" Feli stuttered. "Um, welcome, travellers... T-this is the...the..." He promptly fainted.

Lovino turned his back on his brother as he keeled over, leaving the tall boy to catch him. He faced the remaining strangers with anger smouldering in his eyes. "You heard my stupid _fratello_. If you are the so-called heroes from the stupid legend, then you can go on inside. Goddesses know that it could use some excitement. Hmph. You can _vai all'inferno_ , all of you."

The boy in the cloak stepped forward, facing Lovino. "That was completely uncalled for. What's your problem? I must say that I pity your brother for having someone like _you_ to keep him company."

Lovino smirked. A challenge, huh? He bared his teeth. "So you speak Italian?" He switched to his first language. " _My brother and I were basically banished here, thanks to your 'legend'. It's done nothing but bring us bad fortune. If the Goddesses are real, prove it!_ "

The cloaked boy scowled. " _The Goddesses themselves spoke to us and told us to come here. I guess we shouldn't expect help, though, if useless idiots like you are the only protectors left._ "

Lovino raised his fist threateningly. " _I could deck you for that."_

" _I'd like to see you try!_ "

As the verbal battle was raging, the rest of the group were looking back and forth between Arthur and the mean boy with the funny curl like it was a tennis match.

"What is it they are speaking?" Francis asked, shaking his head. "I do not know, but some of the words sound similar to French."

"I think the jerk said it was Italian or something?" Lizzie said absently.

"Kesesese! This is hilarious!" Gilbert doubled over with laughter as the shouting match grew more intense.

Ludwig gently set down the other boy. He was very similar looking to the other, so Ludwig supposed they were twins. Their personalities couldn't be more different, though, he mused.

As a mediator, Ludwig was starting to get annoyed at the constant verbal abuse he was sure was going on between Arthur and the guard. He stood up, growing more irked with every second. Finally, he snapped. "SHUT UP!"

Arthur whirled towards Ludwig. " _Cos'è!?_ I mean, what is it?"

The guard pointed to Ludwig threateningly. "If you get in the way of this, I'll-"

They were cut off by a soft " _Ve_..." The second guard was waking up.

" _Fratello_? What happened?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

His brother was at his side in a second. "These no good-"

"Hey," Ludwig interrupted. "I think it's our turn to have a say."

"Then go ahead and say it, bastard," the guard spat.

" _Fratello,_ please don't be mean! We have to do our job, and that includes treating the heroes to a nice dinner!" the second guard chirped, fully recovered, it seemed. He turned to the five and smiled brightly. "My name is Feliciano Vargas, but you can call me Feli! This is my brother Lovino Vargas, but don't call him Lovi because he hates that. We are honoured to have the Great Mother's champions at the Fortis temple!"

Lovino did not look honoured in the slightest.

Arthur shook Feliciano's hand with some hesitance. "My name's Arthur. I'm, uh, the leader, I guess."

"Nice to meet you!" Feli shook his hand energetically.

Lizzie enveloped Feli in a hug. "Aw, you're so cute, Feli~!" she cooed. "My name is Elizabeta, but you can call me Lizzie!"

Feli hugged her right back. " _Ve!_ " he said happily.

Francis swooped over and joined the hug. "You can call me big brother Francis~," he whispered.

"Uh, _fratellone_ Francis, you're holding us really tight," Feli whimpered.

Lovino shoved the Docte away from his brother. "Get the hell away from my brother, pervert!" he snarled. _Of course, everyone is focusing on Feliciano. Everyone loves my damn brother the most._

Gilbert struck an (awesome) pose. "I am the awesome Gilbert! Don't forget it! Kesesesese!"

Ludwig sighed. "I'm sorry for my brother. I am Ludwig, nice to meet you."

Feli shook Ludwig's hand after managing to get away from Francis. As he did, he looked up into Ludwig's eyes again, and was struck with a feeling of...something. Feliciano didn't know what it was, but he felt like he had seen those eyes before...

"Are you going to spend all day staring into each others eyes, or are you going to do your freaking job?" Lovino shouted at his brother.

Feli jumped back from Ludwig, hurriedly breaking eye contact. "Right! I'll make the meal! Can I borrow your basket, _fratello?_ "

Lovino handed over Antonio's basket reluctantly. Then he settled for glaring at the travellers as his brother rummaged through it.

"Tomatoes and pizza! Hey, there's pasta!"

"Use your brain!" Lovino scoffed. "Where would you get a pot to boil pasta here?"

"I brought my favourite pasta pot!" Feli replied. "We can finally use it now!"

Lovino facepalmed.

"There's wine, too!" Feli exclaimed, lifting a few bottles out, ignoring the fact that everyone present was underage and that Antonio had probably put the wine in there by accident. "Follow me, champions!" he said, gathering the stuff up and leading them into the entrance room of the temple.

The five trudged after the excitable guard, Arthur hanging behind a little. Unfortunately for him, Lovino was bringing up the rear, and the two had definitely not gotten off to a good start, so he avoided him.

A large stone table was placed in the corner of the room, so Feliciano set up there. "Can someone get a fire going in that fireplace over there?" he asked, still organizing the things in the basket.

Gilbert eagerly ran to it, but Ludwig restrained him before he got too close. "I know we're in a stone building, but I'm sure you'll still find a way to burn it down," he growled through clenched teeth.

While that was happening, Arthur calmly walked over to the fireplace and cast a fire spell in it. In no time, a cheery fire was burning in the space.

Feliciano pulled out a large metal pot from a hidden alcove. "Oh pasta, I've missed you so!"

He filled the pot with water collected from the roof and placed it above the fire, letting it boil. As he was waiting, he set up seven places at the table.

"Here, let me help," Lizzie said, taking some of the tomatoes and washing them in the rainwater.

" _Grazie,_ Lizzie!" Feli exclaimed.

Lizzie didn't understand, but she guessed that he had said thank you, so she smiled and said, "You're welcome, Feli!"

Once the water had boiled, Feliciano put the pasta in and stirred it with a large ladle. Lovino arranged the tomatoes in a bowl in the centre of the table, and Lizzie put out the pizza. When the pasta was done, Feli spooned it into seven individual bowls and put one at each spot.

Finally, the whole meal was done. After Feliciano set aside a small portion for for Dorato and Silky, he took his seat. Gilbert bounded over to the table and immediately chose the spot next to Feli. Arthur didn't want to sit next to anyone, so he sat at the head of the table. Lovino sat next to Lizzie with a lot of grumbling, but she was the only one he could stand being near without feeling like bashing their head in. Unfortunately, Francis sat next to him right after he sat down, so it was too late to change spots. Ludwig took the last seat, on Feli's other side.

" _Buon appetito_ , everyone!" Feli cried blissfully, and attacked his pasta.

This was the first real meal the five travellers had had in weeks, so they ate heartily. Even Arthur, who was used to rationing, dug in with gusto.

"This pasta is so good, Feli!" Lizzie complimented, twirling her fork in the noodles.

"I love making pasta. It's my favourite food!" Feli smiled.

Lovino had only taken a bright red tomato and was taking small bites from it, eyeing Francis beside him warily. His pasta and pizza remained untouched.

" _Fratello,_ what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" asked Feli worriedly.

Lovino gazed at his brother coldly. "Mind your own damn business."

"Hey, that was uncalled for," Gilbert frowned.

"Don't tell me what to do," Lovino growled.

"He reminds me of Arthur," Francis chuckled.

"I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!" Lovino and Arthur shouted in perfect sync.

Everyone else had a good laugh at their expense while the two flushed red and turned away.

"S-shut up!" Lovino said angrily.

Arthur pulled up his hood and ignored everyone else for the rest of the meal.

Lovino finally ate his other food, and Feli and Lizzie cleared the plates. Everyone sat down in front of the fireplace, enjoying the warmth. Francis set out the wine bottles.

"I know we are underage," he smirked, "but who's here to tell us _non_?"

Gilbert looked excited. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out several cans.

"What are those?" Ludwig asked suspiciously.

"Just some beer," Gilbert said casually.

"Where did you get that?" Ludwig yelled. "You shouldn't drink! You're only sixteen! How many times do I have to tell you that? Have you had any?"

"I haven't," Gilbert said truthfully. "Mathias- remember him?- slipped me some as payment for telling them that address. I've been holding on to it ever since."

Ludwig sighed. "No one here is even allowed to drink that."

"Hey everyone!" Gilbert shouted. "West has issued a challenge! Who can drink this?" He held up the beer can in all its rebellious glory.

Arthur swiped it. "Ha. I could drink a _thousand_ of these."

Gilbert laughed and took a glass of wine, sipping it. "We'll see about that, Artie. Hey, this is some good quality stuff! Where'd you get it, Feli?"

"Our big brother Antonio sent it to us. He lives in a nearby village with us, but the elders there told us we were picked for guard duty, so we had to leave him," Feliciano explained.

"If you're going to tell them your life story, at least get it right," Lovino said, swirling his wine around his cup moodily. "Antonio isn't even related to us. He just takes care of us because we have no one else to do it."

Lovino seemed to be getting more talkative with the wine. Gilbert took this as an opportunity to learn more about this caretaker of theirs.

"So, this Antonio is older than you?" he asked.

Lovino drained his glass and refilled it. He hicupped. "'S only sixteen," he muttered. "Only a year older. Don't know how he got custody of us. Or where he got this damn wine."

"What's he like?" Francis asked, joining their conversation.

"He's a bastard, just like you two," Lovino mumbled. "Thinks he can do whatever he wants."

"He's really nice!" Feli chimed in. "He grows tomatoes in our backyard!"

Francis smiled knowingly. "Ah, I see."

"Can we meet him?" Gilbert asked excitedly.

"Aren't you doing something really important?" Lovino scoffed. "Why would you - _hic_ \- want to come to our village, idiots?" He paused. "Heh. Village idiots."

Feliciano took Lovino's glass away from him. "I don't think you should have anymore, _fratello._ "

Lovino scowled at Feli, but before he could do anything, a commotion arose from the others' location.

"Gilbert! This is your fault, so come help me with this!" Ludwig shouted, holding down a struggling Arthur, who was spewing several colourful curses.

"What's wrong with him, West?" Gilbert snickered.

"I think he's had too much beer and wine," Lizzie supplied, holding her frying pan in one hand and her sword in the other.

"What the hell are you doing with those?" Lovino screamed at her. "You're going to kill someone!"

Arthur managed to free himself from Ludwig's grasp and laughed maniacally. "You'll never conquer King Arthur!" he declared, and whipped off his cloak with a flourish.

Francis stifled a laugh. "Oh, my. It seems he does not have very much tolerance for alcohol."

Arthur started to take off his shirt too, but Ludwig grabbed his arms. "Stop this at once!" the Fortis commanded.

"No!" Arthur shouted. "It is my destiny to become the ruler of the frogs!"

Gilbert burst out laughing, and Feli joined Ludwig in holding down Arthur. While he did that, Lovino stole his wine back and downed the whole glass, finishing Feli's abandoned glass as well.

"I'll be friendsh with all te faeries!" Arthur slurred, blundering towards his tome.

"Don't let him get it!" cried Lizzie. "Lovino, grab it!"

Lovino stumbled, holding his stomach. "I'm not feeling so good," he groaned.

In the chaos, Gilbert managed to sneak over to Arthur's tome and grab it at the same time the Omnes did. They played a short tug-of-war with it. As they did this, Lizzie swung her frying pan, trying to hit Arthur, but she hit Gilbert by accident.

He staggered back, holding his head. "Are you crazy, Lizzie? Why did you hit the awesome me instead of him?"

"Oops," she said, not sounding sorry in the slightest.

Arthur held up his tome victoriously, swaying a little.

Silky, Feli's animal friend, made a flying leap and tried to grab it, but Arthur ducked, and the lemur crashed into Dorato, who was just sitting on the ground because he felt like it.

Arthur opened the book to a random page and started reading the words. " _Decli-_ "

"STOP!" Ludwig shouted desperately.

Arthur stopped reading and frowned at Ludwig. "No! I have to read the spell or he won't come back!"

"Who won't come back?" Francis asked in spite of the situation.

"A-Alfred. He said-" Arthur lurched to the side, losing his balance. "He said he'd come back, but he didn't!" His gaze suddenly became filled with murderous rage. "It was you, wasn't it? You killed him!"

Francis backed up. "Arthur, be reasonable! I would never hurt someone you love!"

"You'll pay for this!" Arthur shouted. "You'll pay for ruining my life! DIE!" He started reading a spell that everyone could see had a very gruesome picture next to it. " _Mori-_ "

Gilbert panicked and tackled Arthur. His head hit the floor, his eyes rolled up, and he stopped moving.

"Oops. I think I killed him," Gilbert said, straight-faced.

Feli started panicking. "He's dead?! But we just met him! I don't want him to be dead already!"

Ludwig shot a glare at his brother. "Arthur is just knocked out, Feliciano," he said calmly. "He's not dead. I'd be more concerned with the way he almost killed Francis."

"I'm sure it was just the ravings of a drunk person," Francis said hastily, his expression saying _don't talk about it right now._

Feli breathed a sigh of relief, but right after, Lovino collapsed onto the person standing near him, which turned out to be Gilbert.

"Warming up to my awesomeness?" Gilbert smirked.

Lovino tried to push him away, but fell to the floor with a groan, and passed out next to Arthur.

" _Fratello,_ why did you drink so much wine?" Feli shrieked at his brother's limp body.

Ludwig put his hand on his shoulder. "You'll have to lecture him when he wakes up," he said. "He's not in any condition to listen right now."

Lizzie surveyed the mess. "Well, that was a disaster," she commented. "Still, the food was good. Thanks for making it, Feli."

Feliciano was freaking out to much to hear her. "What do we do? What do we do?" he shrieked.

"Calm down, Feliciano!" Ludwig ordered.

Feli was breathing really fast.

"Oh, no, he's not going to-" Gilbert started.

Feli fainted.

"...faint too," Gilbert sighed.

"Is there a room to put them in until they wake up?" Lizzie asked.

"Why don't you ask them?" Gilbert said sarcastically, gesturing to the unconscious guards.

Francis reappeared from the left corridor, where he had gone to search when Lovino passed out. "There are several beds in a room over here," he said.

"Who gets to carry them?" Gilbert said unenthusiastically.

Ludwig hoisted up Feliciano.

"Oh, yeah, take the lightest one," Gilbert grumbled, trying to pick up Lovino without success. Lizzie came to help him, and they managed to tote him down the hall.

Francis grimaced, because he knew how heavy Arthur was when he was sleeping. He struggled to pick him up, and eventually supported him down the hall to the others. He put him in a random bed in the room, then collapsed onto another, empty one. The others had also found beds.

"It's a little strange being able to go to sleep without having to assign a watch," Lizzie whispered.

"I know!" Gilbert laughed. "We're never this safe at night!"

"Good night," Ludwig said, probably trying to shut Gilbert up.

"Good night," everyone chorused.


	11. Fortis Temple Part 2

_Sorry for the delay. I don't own Hetalia, nor do I own any of the character songs. I did have to change one little thing in the song later on to have it make sense, so please forgive me for that._

* * *

The next morning, Arthur awoke with a splitting headache. He looked around himself groggily. He was in an unfamiliar room, with several beds in it. The beds were all empty except for the two farthest ones, where he could see the forms of two people, still asleep. The distinctive curls of the guards of the Fortis temple were evident on their heads.

Arthur didn't really care as to why the guards were the only ones in here, as his head was still killing him. He tried to remember what had happened. They had arrived at the temple, then had a feast, then…

Arthur bit back a swear. Of course, Gilbert had to break out the alcohol. Arthur knew that he was underage, but he had felt a need to prove himself to all the older people in the room, so he drank three cans of the stuff. He apparently had really low tolerance for alcohol. He hoped that he hadn't said or done anything stupid when he was under the influence of the drink.

Sitting up slightly, he judged that it was early afternoon by the way the light looked, streaming in from the window. Looking at the guards again, he saw that it was Lovino in the farther bed and Feli in the closer one. He supposed that Lovino had also gotten drunk, but he didn't know why Feli was there.

Looking at himself, Arthur saw that his cloak was gone. He noticed it folded and sitting nearby, so he guessed that he had taken it off last night. His tome was under it, with a little note on it. He leaned over and grabbed the note, his head pounding. He squinted at it, the letters finally forming into recognizable shapes. He read the flowery script:

" _Next time you get drunk, remind me to take this away from you. You nearly killed me with it._

 _With love, Francis._ "

It was signed with a picture of a rose under his name.

Arthur didn't know whether he was glad that he hadn't killed Francis, or sad that he didn't. He felt really embarrassed, as he had probably shouted things that he would never say when he was sober. And what was this 'with love' rubbish? Bloody idiot...

He stumbled out of the bed and put his cloak back on. Deciding not to wake the brothers, he exited the room into an unfamiliar hallway. He guessed that he was in one of the many corridors in the temple, and found his way back to the main room without much trouble. He found Lizzie and Francis sitting on the couches that they had been occupying last night. Francis seemed to be mid-explanation, and Lizzie was nodding, brow furrowed.

She caught sight of Arthur and jumped up. "Arthur! You are an _idiot_!" she berated.

"Good morning to you too," Arthur grumbled.

Francis stifled a laugh. "You should really stay away from the alcohol, _cher_ ," he said.

"Tell me that one more time and I'll wish I _had_ killed you last night," Arthur said threateningly.

"It's not a laughing matter!" Lizzie scolded. "You're too young to be getting _drunk!_ "

"Where're Ludwig and Gilbert?" Arthur asked, trying to change the subject.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes. "We don't know what to do here, because the Vargas brothers are apparently as irresponsible as you, so they're exploring the temple to find some connection to their Goddess."

"How does this temple business go, anyway?" Arthur asked. "Does the Goddess just appear?"

"My Goddess said that she would talk with me in the temple, but I'm guessing that it won't be that easy," Lizzie said. "There's probably a trial or something, for them to prove themselves as true Fortis'."

Francis handed Arthur a glass of water. "For your headache," he explained.

"Thanks," Arthur said halfheartedly, gulping it down. The pain in his head subsided a little bit, but it was still there, just below the surface.

Just then, Gilbert burst into the room. "The awesome me has arrived!" he proclaimed.

He saw Arthur wincing at the noise.

"Look who's here!" he laughed. "It's King Arthur, the ruler of the frogs, faeries, and who knows what other crap!"

Arthur glared at him, face heating up. "It's your bloody fault for giving me alcohol!"

"I didn't give it to you, you took it from my hand," Gilbert retorted. "Drank all of it, too. I was saving that for later!"

"You sure didn't look like you were saving it when you waved it around and challenged someone to drink it," commented Francis.

Gilbert gave him a friendly elbow in the ribs. "Ah, it's all in the past now, so who cares, right?"

"Yes," Francis said dryly, rubbing his sore ribs. "Did you and your brother find what you were looking for?"

"Nope!" said Gilbert cheerfully. "West is checking on Feli and that other guy."

"Lovino," Arthur supplied.

"Yeah, yeah," Gilbert said, waving the matter aside. "Anyway, we found nothing. We're hoping that Feli and, uh…"

" _Lovino_."

"And _Lovino_ can tell us what the heck we're supposed to be doing here," Gilbert finished.

A noise from the hallway made them turn around. Ludwig was walking in, Feli clutching his arm and babbling excitedly. Lovino was behind them, holding his head and cussing them out.

"Good morning, everyone!" Feli smiled.

"More like good afternoon," Gilbert chuckled. "You sure like to sleep in, don't you?"

"Of course!" Feli said. "Me and _fratello_ always sleep in! Well, we used to, but we're usually not allowed to on guard duty. But now that you're here, we can go home when you're done!"

"That's great, Feliciaco," Ludwig said patiently. "Can you please let go of my arm now?"

Feli noticed what he was doing and quickly stepped away. " _Ve_ … Sorry, Luddy…"

Gilbert choked a little. " _What_ did he just call you?"

Ludwig's expression was displeased. "He insists on that ridiculous nickname. Please, disregard everything he says, because he doesn't have much going on up here." He poked Feli's forehead.

Lovino kicked Ludwig. "Stop insulting my brother, potato!"

"Do I even dare to ask?" Gilbert said, rolling his eyes.

"When he woke up, he saw me and thought I was the 'potato from hell'," Ludwig said, eye twitching. "And therefore, I gained another nickname."

Feli smiled. "My _fratello_ is so funny!"

Lovino crossed his arms angrily. "Shut up!" he yelled. "It's your fault for getting me drunk!"

"You did that by yourself," Ludwig muttered.

Lovino kicked him again, and punched him for good measure. Ludwig simply stood there, his years of training obviously doing him more good that Lovino. That is to say, Lovino's blows bounced right off.

Feli seemed not to notice. " _Andiamo_ _!_ " he said cheerfully. "We'll show you to the trial room!"

"There's a trial?" Gilbert asked, horrified. "Is it like a test? I didn't study! What if I fail?!"

"You're embarrassing yourself, _bruder_ ," Ludwig sighed. "It will probably be a test of bravery, seeing as this is the _Fortis_ temple."

"Feeling _brave_ , bastard?" Lovino smirked.

"Yeah!" Gilbert shouted. "I'm so brave, I didn't even get drunk last night!"

"That's not a sign of bravery," Arthur said irritably.

"Follow me!" Feli said, going down a different hall, dragging Lovino with him.

"Let go of me, idiot!" Lovino said, yanking his arm away from his brother. "The trial room is over there!"

"Oops!" Feli laughed. "I guess I'm too excited! I forgot where to go!"

"Why are you always so damn cheerful?" Lovino grumbled.

Feli hummed a little tune, ignoring his brother. He opened a door that led to a big, empty room. "Here we go! After you, heroes."

Gilbert pushed his way into the room. "It's empty," he said, disappointed.

Just then, there was a bright flash of silver light in the front of the room. When it faded, a familiar figure stood there.

"Lady Bonus!" Gilbert cried. He put his hand on his heart and bowed his head. Ludwig quickly did the same. The rest of the group backed off and watched.

"It's so nice to see you again, Gilbert!" Bonus said happily. "And I'm glad I can finally meet you, Ludwig!"

"Y-yes, my lady," Ludwig stuttered.

She smiled gently. "No need to be nervous, silly! We're all friends here! By the way, congratulations on making it to the first temple!"

"Thank you," said Gilbert, pleased.

"What is our trial, my lady?" Ludwig asked.

Bonus put her finger on her chin. "Well...my sisters said that I should do something that will make you have to defy death over and over, but I don't wanna do that."

Gilbert breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Bonus brightened. "I know!" She snapped her fingers, and the room glowed again. When the light died down, three new objects had appeared. There was an electric guitar, a drum set, and a screen hanging in mid air.

Ludwig's eyes widened. "This is the challenge?"

Bonus nodded cheerily. "Yeah! Just play the guitar and drums to match the notes on the screen."

Gilbert ran over to the guitar and inspected it with glee. "Check it out, West! This is just like the awesome one I used to have!"

Ludwig picked up the drum sticks. "This one is familiar as well," he said.

Bonus tilted her head as if listening to someone talking. "My sisters say that I should up the ante a little. Since you're Fortis, I'll do this!"

She snapped her fingers again. Everyone in the room but Gilbert and Ludwig vanished.

"Hey!" Gilbert shouted. "Where did you go?"

A large balcony appeared in the front of the room, growing right out of the wall. Bonus sat on the railing, looking down at them. Arthur, Lizzie, Francis, Feliciano, and Lovino were behind her, all in one giant glass cage. Arthur and Lovino appeared to be yelling curses at the Goddess as loud as they could, but the cage was soundproof.

"What did you do?" shouted Ludwig.

Bonus smiled coyly. "Fortis will do anything to protect their friends, no? Let's see you win the extra-hard difficulty! Remember, if you fail, your friends will suffocate in this wonderfully airtight cage. No pressure, right?"

Gilbert clenched his fists. "I thought you were a _good_ guy!"

Bonus laughed. "Gilly, dear, I _am_ on your team, you know. You simply have to prove yourself! Every moment spent arguing with me means less air for them, so I'd get to it."

Gilbert scowled at her. He turned to the guitar. "West, let's make this the most awesome performance yet."

Ludwig nodded determinedly. He took his spot at the drum set.

On the floating screen, music began to play. After a few seconds, notes appeared, indicating for them to start.

Ludwig tapped his drumsticks, and they began to play.

Feliciano and the others could hear from their cage. "He's good at playing the drums, isn't he?" Feli said happily.

"I'd say yes, but I'm too busy thinking that we're stuck in a prison and relying on _Gilbert_ to get us out," Lizzie said dryly.

After a long intro, words showed up on the screen, indicating that the Fortis' would have to sing in the next thirty seconds.

"We have to _sing_ it, too?!" Gilbert yelled in frustration.

Bonus giggled. "I hope you're familiar with the words!"

"I'm _not_ ," Gilbert spat.

Ludwig sighed. "I am."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. This is a song about me. I wrote it."

" _What?!_ But when I was learning the guitar part, you never said-"

"I will sing it. You focus on playing. Quickly!" Ludwig interrupted, and began to sing.

" _Alone in a narrow private room, drumming._

 _Alone during break, drumming._

 _I will not allow even the smallest offbeat._

He averted his eyes from his brother, who was looking at him with a slightly shocked expression. Surprisingly, Gilbert managed to keep up the melody pretty well.

 _Turn off the air conditioning, turn off the light,_

 _As time passes by._

 _Flowing from my hands is steady_ Rhythmus _of unparalleled accuracy._

 _Feel the rhythm! Keep the beat!_

 _The music of the soul, towards the place I once dreamed of!_

 _Sing it! Sing it!_

 _From deep within you, shout it out loud!_

 _Assemble it! Shout it!_

 _This fierce and proud_ Harmonie.

 _Keep the beat! Press on!_

 _The music of the soul, I'll beat it with all the strength I have."_

"Wow, Ludwig is a good singer," Lizzie commented.

"He seems kind of obsessed with perfection," Francis noticed.

" _After rigorous practice, don't forget to rest!"_

" _After the break, drumming._

 _In time with the metronome, drumming._

 _I will not allow even one mistake._

 _When I sit up straight, close my eyes, and relax my shoulders,_

 _Gradually I can see the place I dreamed,_ _Viridi, Cana, Rubra_ _, right now! Right there!_

Both Lovino and Feliciano flinched.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, seeing them.

"That's the name of the small village we come from..." Feli said, confused.

"Why is the potato dreaming of our village?" Lovino grumbled.

 _Feel the rhythm! Keep the beat!_

 _The music of the soul, towards the place I once dreamed of!_

 _Sing it! Sing it!_

 _From deep within you, shout it out loud!_

 _Assemble it! Shout it!_

 _This fierce and skilled_ Harmonie.

 _Keep the beat! Press on!_

 _The music of the soul, I'll beat it with all the strength I have!"_

Gilbert decided that he wanted to say something, too. He decided to compliment his brother.

" _West! Your drumming skills sure have improved a lot!"_

" _Yours, though, brother, just stayed the same."_

Gilbert winced. Ouch. Time to redeem himself.

" _Alright! Next up is my guitar solo of the soul! Listen up!"_

He strummed his guitar fiercely, grinning madly. He played louder than Ludwig's drums, overpowering the song with his awesomeness.

After his intense solo, Ludwig continued to sing.

" _In order to continue beside my companion,_

 _from now on, and forever,_

 _I must continue to hone my own skills."_

"Is he talking about...Gilbert?" Lizzie asked, confused.

"That's deep," Arthur deadpanned.

The sound of a metronome ticked briefly, then the guitar and drums resumed.

" _Break it! Surpass it!_

 _The heart's barrier, believe in yourself and charge onward!_

 _Sing it! Sing it!_

 _From deep within you, shout to your limit!_

 _Harmony! Rhythm!_

 _Stay focused and keep it until the end!_

 _Feel the rhythm! Keep the beat!_

 _The music of the soul, I'll beat it with all the strength I have!"_

Gilbert laughed, apparently forgetting the situation they were in.

" _West! Let's go get some beer when you're finished!"_

Ludwig rolled his eyes.

" _Ah, let's make it our debriefing meeting as well. There are so many things I want to tell you, brother."_

Gilbert smiled blissfully.

" _Heh...let's have fun drinking~"_

With that, they struck the last note.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you're underage?"Ludwig said, smacking his brother upside the head. "You didn't have to butt in to my song to talk about beer."

"But my solo was awesome, wasn't it?" Gilbert asked, rubbing his head. "It made your song a thousand times better, admit it."

Ludwig rolled his eyes again.

Bonus landed next to them and pouted playfully. "Aw, the fun is over. You're pretty good at singing, dear," she added to Ludwig.

He wrinkled his nose and stepped back. "I would have rather not sung at all."

"But you had to, didn't you." Bonus nodded knowingly. "That pesky Fortis Goddess imprisoned your friends in a glass cage and forced you to do something you feared to get them out. Oh, the woes you must have experienced!" She swooned dramatically.

Gilbert scowled at her. "Don't talk to West like that."

She laughed airily. "Well, you can blame Proelium, I suppose. She was the one who told me to make it challenging like that. I was all for you just playing the song, really. Facing your fear was showing bravery enough, for me."

"We'll be sure to thank her," Ludwig grumbled. "Can you please let our friends go, now?"

Bonus looked at the cage. An old fashioned padlock was on the 'door', and it seemed tightly sealed. "Well, see, I would, but I misplaced the key."

Gilbert clenched his fists. "Is this some kind of joke? You were sitting on your ass laughing at us the entire time, but you somehow managed to lose the damn _key_ for your magical glass cage with no door!?"

"Language, Gilbert," Bonus chided.

Gilbert was about to form a scathing retort, but Ludwig clapped a hand over his mouth.

"How much time until they run out of air?" he asked sharply.

Bonus shrugged, seeming rather unconcerned. "Depends if they panic or not. With all of them in there, I'd say an hour or two at the most. Though with the little Fortis guard hyperventilating and all, that's not likely."

Ludwig looked in the cage with surprise, where Feli was indeed breathing really quickly, tears running down his face. Lovino was screaming at him to stop, while Lizzie screamed at him for screaming at Feli while he was crying. Arthur, at the same time, was yelling at Francis for sitting too close to him.

Ludwig groaned. They were doomed.

"Where do we look for it?" demanded Gilbert.

Bonus tilted her head. "Well, when Ludwig was singing about that one village, I got nostalgic. So, part of my essence zipped off there for a visit. That must have been the one with the key."

" _Essence?_ " Gilbert repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, Goddess stuff, it doesn't really matter. We can be in several places at once, you know. Anyway, I'll just pop the two of you over there, and you can find it for me!"

"Where do we look?" asked Ludwig. "We can't just comb the whole village!"

"I think I met a boy with brown hair," Bonus said unhelpfully.

"Thanks," Gilbert drawled sarcastically. "We'll be sure to ask every boy with brown hair in the whole village if he met a Goddess today."

"No, wait, I remember!" Bonus said excitedly. "He had brown hair and olive-coloured eyes, and he was smiling really big! You'll know him when you see him; he can't be missed!"

Feliciano and Lovino, who had finally calmed down, were listening to the conversation. Their eyes widened as they listened to the description of the boy. Frantically, they tried to get Gilbert's attention.

Gilbert saw the two brothers yelling at him, but he still couldn't hear what they were saying.

"What?" he asked desperately.

Feli seemed to be mouthing someone's name, but Gilbert couldn't tell what it was. There was a _t_? Or was it an _n_?

Lovino pounded on the glass in frustration. _Toni_ , he mouthed. _Look for Toni._

Gilbert remembered their conversation the day before, about the Vargas' caretaker.

He nodded to the two, finally understanding. "West. I know who to look for!"

Ludwig looked at him, surprised. "Okay...we have to go, then."

Lovino slapped the glass again. _Take quail,_ he mouthed. Or was it...whale?

Gilbert scratched his head in confusion. "What whale?"

"Hmm? Don't you mean quail? There was a quail here last night," Ludwig remembered.

"Oh," Gilbert realized. "It must be one of their companions. I guess Antonio would trust us if we brought one along."

"But where are they? We're don't have time for this; we'll just have to go without them," Ludwig said.

Bonus walked back over. "Are you done talking to your friends? Ready to go?"

"Yes," Ludwig nodded.

Bonus shook her head. "Oh, Ludwig, you won't be going. Your test has already been completed."

" _What?_ " he asked incredulously. "My brother can't go by himself!"

"He won't," Bonus agreed. She snapped her fingers. Ludwig dissolved and reappeared in the glass cage.

Meanwhile, in said cage, there was an argument going on.

"We have to bust out of here!" Lizzie insisted. "We can't rely on Gilbert to get us out!"

"For once, I agree," Lovino muttered.

Feli sniffed. "But Luddy is with him, so it'll be okay, right?"

That was when Ludwig appeared inside. Feli shrieked and hid behind Lovino, who cursed some more.

Arthur scowled at Bonus, outside the cage. "Okay, now we're doomed. Gilbert cannot do this by himself."

Bonus waved at Arthur playfully and winked. She snapped her fingers again and Francis appeared behind Gilbert.

"Now you can go!" she laughed. "You have two hours, better hurry!"

One last snap, and a bright flash engulfed the room. As this happened, a small furry shape leaped into Francis' arms, and something landed on Gilbert's shoulder and held on with sharp talons. Then everything went white, and they dissolved.

* * *

When the world came into focus again, Gilbert wasted no time yelling at Francis.

"Why are you the one who has to come with me? Why not West?"

"If I had to guess," said Francis, cradling Silky, who had come for the ride, "I would say that Lady Bonus decided that Ludwig had already completed his trial. It seems your trial is looking for a person you do not know, with a person you do not like, or your friends will all die."

"Hey, I never said-"

"That you did not like me?" Francis smiled. " _Non,_ I know already. You do not need to worry, it is perfectly natural for you to hate me, seeing as I am Docte and you are Fortis."

"I don't hate you, per se…" Gilbert trailed off.

"But you feel uncomfortable around the Docte," Francis finished. "Like I said, perfectly natural. Let us focus on finding this 'Antonio', and we can talk about it later."

Gilbert nodded uneasily. As much as he disliked the Docte in general, Francis was like family. Their little group was all they had for the quest, so he knew that he should at least make some more effort to become friends with him.

He glanced at Francis. "Look, let's start over. We should be better friends."

Francis nodded. " _Oui,_ I agree. You cannot just stick close to your brother the entire quest! We should all take this as an opportunity, and become as close to each other as possible, so we will be an invincible team!"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Have you been planning that speech?"

"Pretty much ever since we picked up your brother," Francis admitted.

"Well, I agree with you," Gilbert said sheepishly.

They shook hands.

"Now that that's out of the way, we should really get to finding Antonio." Gilbert grinned. "Where should we start looking?"

Francis stroked his chin. "Hmm. How about that building?"

Gilbert looked where the Docte was pointing. The building was shabby and dirty. Someone stumbled out the door and fell over, snoring.

Gilbert looked at the building for a moment. "I'm in!" he declared.

They entered cautiously. Immediately, a bottle came hurling towards Gilbert's face, and he ducked quickly. It shattered behind him, amid drunken laughing. Dorato screeched, upset.

A girl that looked about their age popped up next to them. "Welcome to the local bar!" she chirped. "My name is Bella. We can't serve you our usual, because you're underage, but you are welcome to relax here for as long as you want!"

Francis smiled at her. "Actually, _cher,_ we are just stopping by. You see, we are looking for a boy our age named Antonio. Have you seen him?"

Bella hummed. "No, but the name sounds pretty familiar. I'll ask my big brother, Lars. This is a small village, so he knows everyone!"

She led them to the front counter, dodging drunk people.

"Big brother!" she called.

A man came from the back. He was tall, with spiky hair and a long scarf. He was holding a pipe.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked with a deep voice.

"These two are looking for a boy named Antonio, big brother," she said happily. "Do you know him?"

At the mention of the name, the man noticeably stiffened. "What business do you have with him?" he asked slowly.

"He has something we need," explained Gilbert.

Lars curled his lip. "I do not know where that idiot is, nor would I ever want to. Go ask someone else."

"But sir!" protested Francis. "We have very little time, and I'm sure that you know him, by the way you talk as if you hate his guts. Please, can you tell us where he is?"

Lars shook his head. "Why should I? I just met you. What you do is not my concern."

Gilbert scowled. "Fine. Can you _at least_ tell us where he lives?"

Lars raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I know that information?"

"You seem like you have a history with him," Francis remarked. "Please, just tell us and we'll go away."

Lars heaved a sigh. "All your questioning is useless. Go ask him yourself." With that, he pointed to the corner of the bar, where the very man that they were looking for was laughing to himself and drinking from a cup that looked suspiciously like something that he was not allowed to be drinking from.

Gilbert grinned. "Hey, thanks, bro!"

Lars rubbed his forehead. "Just leave me alone. And if you're not going to buy anything, get out."

Francis and Gilbert made a beeline for Antonio, thanking Bella quickly. When they got to him, his smile widened when he saw the two.

"Hello," Francis said carefully.

" _¡_ _Hola, mi amigos!_ What...can I do for you?" Antonio asked, taking another swig.

"First, I think, you should stop drinking when you are clearly underage," commented Francis dryly.

Antonio shook his head stubbornly. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Gilbert swiped the cup away from him.

"Hey!" Antonio protested.

"We need your help, Antonio. It will not do for you to be completely drunk," Francis reprimanded.

"How do you know my name? And why are you bothering me?" Toni pouted.

"Like I said, we are in need of your assistance."

Antonio frowned. "I only help Lovi and Feli. They left a long time ago, you know. I feel really sad a lot of the time now, so what can I do but come here? If it will help me forget my sorrows for at least one day, I will come every time."

"That...was surprisingly dark," Gilbert said. "Okay, Antonio, I can tell you're a happy guy usually, right?"

Toni nodded dazedly.

"What if we told you that we need your help to _save_ Feli and Lovino?" Francis said slowly.

Antonio sat up with a jolt. "Lovi and Feli are in danger?!"

"Yes!" Gilbert said encouragingly. "That's why we need your help."

Toni scowled, eyes darkening. "How can I trust you? What if you're just luring me into a trap? What if _you're_ the ones hurting _mi tomate?_ "

Francis sighed. "I can see why you would think that. However, we are friends. Here is proof."

He turned around to reveal the lemur that had been clinging to his back the entire time. Gilbert caught on and revealed Dorato, who had ruffled feathers from trying to stay on the albino's shoulder.

Antonio's eyes widened. "Is that Lovi's bird?"

" _Ja,_ and Feli's lemur. They sent them with us to show you that they need you help!" Gilbert said happily.

Antonio stood up, shaking his head like a dog. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on," Francis said. "We need to know if you met a strange lady earlier today."

Toni tilted his head. "Well, now that you mention it, yeah, I did! She seemed to just appear out of thin air, so I asked her who she was. She just laughed and winked, then pressed an small object into my hand. When I blinked, she was gone. It was really weird!"

Francis nearly laughed in relief. " _Manifique!_ Where is the object?"

Toni rubbed his head. "Hmm...let's see. After she was gone, I put it in my pocket and came here. Then I drank some of that stuff-" he gestured to the cup Gilbert was still holding- "and then you guys came!"

"So it's in your pocket?" Francis asked patiently.

Antonio checked it. "Nope!"

Gilbert groaned. "Where is it, then?"

Antonio frowned. "I think it's at my house. I might have changed out of the sweater I was wearing _before_ I came here."

"We're pressed for time here; let's go!" Gilbert said impatiently. "Remember, Feli and Lovino are in trouble!"

Antonio rushed out of the bar without another word. Francis and Gilbert scrambled to follow, Lars yelling something about paying behind them.

They burst out of the door to see Antonio pelting down the street. "This way, _amigos!_ " he called.

When they finally arrived, they found Antonio at the door of a rather large house. He opened it and beckoned them inside.

"There's the sweater," he told them. "Grab the object while I go get something. I'll be right back."

Gilbert searched the pockets of the sweater and held up the key victoriously.

"How do we get back?" he asked Francis.

He shrugged. "I believe we just ask Lady Bonus to bring us back, and she will."

"Should we really bring Antonio?" Gilbert whispered."He seems a little..."

He couldn't finish his sentence, however, because Antonio entered the room holding a-

"Antonio, is that what I think it is?" Francis asked slowly.

Antonio had a determined look. "It's payback for whoever hurt Feli and Lovi. Let's go."

Gilbert swallowed nervously. "Uh, okay." He raised his voice. "Lady Bonus, bring us back!"  
Immediately, they began to disintegrate. The last thing Gilbert saw was Antonio grinning and clutching his extremely sharp, blood-stained axe tightly.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the temple, Bonus was lying in front of the cage, lazily scratching a picture into the ground with a knife. Feliciano was huddled up in the corner, sniffling, while Ludwig tried to keep him calm. Lizzie was staring at the goddess with disgust, and Arthur and Lovino were quietly seething.

"Hey," said Arthur finally, breaking the silence. "You _do_ know that if we die, the world will end."

Bonus looked up at him, then cupped her hand around her ear in the symbol for 'speak up, I can't hear you'.

Arthur knew it was bait for him to start shouting, so he just shook his head. Bonus sighed and waved her hand.

"It's not soundproof anymore," she explained. "Can you say that again?"

"I said that if we die, the world will _end_ ," he repeated angrily.

Bonus yawned. "I'm sure that my sisters and I can handle some silly shadows."

Lovino spoke up furiously. "Yeah, _sure_ you can. That's why the Great Mother chooses the champions in the first place," he snarled.

Bonus waved her hand, unconcerned. "Oh, Mother always exaggerates. How strong can _one_ shadow god be against all three of us goddesses?"

Arthur scowled. "How dense are you? You're willing to kill off the heroes and two _completely innocent_ people just so the Fortis, who are one part of the entire team, can prove their bravery? There are better ways to do that without threatening the entire world."

Bonus shrugged. "Like I've said a million times, blame _Proelium._ If you survive, you can go tell her all this yourself."

Lizzie, who was listening in, groaned. "So, if we make it to the Bellator temple, we can expect an even worse challenge?"

"Probably," said Bonus cheerfully.

"Great," Lovino deadpanned. "Now please tell me why you got me and my _fratello_ involved."

Bonus giggled. "You may think it is simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, my dear, but I assure you that everything has a reason. Why, if it weren't for you being in danger, Toni wouldn't help Gilbert and Francis! And if Toni didn't help, then the rest of the heroes would die. You see?"

Lovino's eyes widened. "Antonio isn't going to come _here_ , is he?"

"I don't know," Bonus admitted. "I'll teleport them back when they call upon me, and I suppose that if dear Toni is with them when they do, he will appear too."

Feliciano looked up, a fearful look on his tear-streaked face. "B-but big brother Antonio is scary when he's mad," he whimpered.

Arthur regarded him curiously. "What does he do when he's angry?"

Feli got a far-away look in his eyes. "Once, Lovi and I sneaked over to the big Fortis city without telling him. We met a really nice boy there. He told us that his big brother was just like Antonio, so we became friends for a few hours. He even gave us some food, but it tasted too plain."

Ludwig inhaled sharply, but Feli didn't notice and kept telling his story.

"We lost track of time, and it got dark. The boy said he had to go, but Lovi and I couldn't find our way back to the village. We wandered around the city, but it was really dark and scary. Antonio found us at about midnight, and he looked terrifying. He..."

"He was clutching a giant axe," Lovino broke in harshly. "He had a murderous look in his eye, and he scared us senseless. Later, he told us that one of the worst gangs in Fortis city was hiding out close to where we were, and were coming closer to us. The axe was..." He faltered.

Lizzie bit her lip. "So if Gilbert and Francis tell him our _situation_..."

"He'll grab his axe, teleport over here, and all hell will break loose," Lovino finished.

Arthur clenched his fists. "Are you happy now?" he yelled at Bonus. "We don't have time for these kinds of complications!"

She smirked. "How was I to know they had a mentally unstable caretaker?"

Lovino's eyes blazed. "Don't insult him like that!"

Lizzie crossed her arms. "Lady, that is _not_ something you make fun of."

Bonus looked a little uncomfortable. She waved her hand, and the cage became soundproof again.

"Well, that whole conversation just made our situation switch from bad to worse," Arthur snapped.

Ludwig shifted uneasily. As Arthur ranted to Lizzie and Lovino, he cleared his throat quietly and tapped Feli on the shoulder.

" _Ve~_ What is it, Luddie?" Feli asked.

Ludwig mustered up a small smile. "I apologize for the inconveniences we have caused you and your brother."

Feli laughed. "It's not your fault, Luddie! I mean, it's not like you gave us bad food or anything, right? Now _that_ would be an insult!"

Ludwig winced. "Actually..."

They were interrupted by Lizzie shouting, "Arthur, shut up right now!"

Arthur glared at her. "I can do whatever I bloody well please."

She coughed. "No, we _all_ have to stop talking. The air..."

Ludwig inhaled, surprised at how little oxygen he seemed to be getting. He saw Feli's eyes becoming panicked, so he gave him a calming look. It seemed to work, and Feli drew in another shallow breath shakily without freaking out.

Arthur sat down and tried to quell his rising fear. They had been fools to rely on Gilbert. They were really going to die, right here.

"I'm sorry, Alfred," he whispered to himself. "I failed."

He looked around the cage. Feli was hugging Ludwig, who seemed too weak to pry him off. Lovino was glaring daggers at everyone, especially Ludwig, but he seemed to be losing his strength, too. Lizzie was closing her eyes and trying to take shallow breaths. Unfortunately, five humans consume too much air, and the supply was rapidly dwindling. Arthur's vision flickered as his brain tried to function without enough oxygen. Just as his sight was fading, he sensed something moving outside the cage.

Bonus had stood up, and was looking at them grimly.

A strange strength filled Arthur as his hate for the goddess burned within him. He somehow struggled to his feet, trying to focus on Bonus through his swimming vision. He took in as much oxygen as he could, and charged at the glass, shoulder out. He hit it with a painful bump, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the goddess. Arthur collapsed, coughing. He just wanted to _do_ something, to not feel so damn helpless. Lovino apparently agreed, as he had also staggered upright, and was hitting the glass weakly. This only lasted for a second, however, before he ran out of steam.

Bonus glanced up like she was receiving a message. She snapped her fingers, but Arthur didn't see what happened next, as darkness had already overcome him.

* * *

Gilbert blinked. The blurry room was sharpening, and he shook his head to clear it. He saw that he was back in the temple, still clenching the key tightly in his hand. Francis was beside him, rubbing his eyes. Antonio, however, was charging at Bonus with his axe held aloft.

Bonus looked like she was expecting this, however, and promptly disappeared. Antonio whipped his head around wildly, then spotted the cage. Feli, Ludwig, and Lizzie were already unconscious, but their chests still rose and fell extremely slowly. Arthur and Lovino didn't appear to be breathing at all.

Antonio immediately ran over to the cage and prepared to swing at it with the axe.

"Hey, hey, stop!" shouted Gilbert desperately. "You're going to hurt them if you smash it!"

"I have to save Lovi!" Antonio snarled.

Gilbert hurriedly jammed the key in and pulled the heavy padlock off. The 'door' swung open.

"They're not breathing!" Gilbert shouted. Antonio began to pump Lovino's chest furiously. Francis quickly did the same for Arthur.

Lovino finally started to breath again. He remained unconscious, but was out of the worst danger. Antonio sat down next to Lovino and brushed some of his hair out of his face. "You're safe," he sighed in relief.

Francis made sure Arthur was breathing properly while Gilbert got Ludwig out, then returned for Lizzie and Feli. They were all breathing normally now, but it was evident that they had suffered from oxygen deprivation, obviously.

A few minutes later, Ludwig, Lizzie, and Feli began to wake up. Antonio hugged Feli fiercely.

"Big brother Antonio, please don't be mad," Feli cried. "We didn't mean to get into trouble!"

"I know, Feli, don't worry," Antonio comforted. "It was the woman who was here before, wasn't it?"

Feli rubbed his eyes. "She's Lady Bonus, the Fortis goddess, so we can't do anything about it. But Lovi and I can come home now, right?"

Antonio nodded fervently. "There's no way I'd let you stay here after that."

Gilbert smiled nervously. "Um, Antonio, that's nice and all, but you can put the axe down now."

Toni seemed surprised that he was still holding it, and he set it down and pushed it away with his foot. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "It's for special cases only. When someone threatens my _hermonitos_ , I make sure they _never can again_."

On that ominous note, he ended the conversation.

Francis glanced uneasily at Arthur, who still hadn't woken up. "How long did we take?" he asked worriedly.

Lizzie coughed again. "Too long for my liking. We were all pretty much _dead_ by the time you got back!"

Francis put up his hands in a calming gesture. "I'm very sorry about that! You see, there were some complications, and a bar…"

"A _bar?!_ " Lizzie shrieked. "You wasted your time _drinking_ when our _lives_ were at stake?!"

"No, no!" Francis protested. "We found _Antonio_ in a bar! We weren't going there for ourselves!"

Lizzie glared at him. "I don't trust you. If Arthur and Lovino don't wake up, I'm never going to speak to you again," she hissed.

Francis nearly cried with frustration. All his efforts, gone. Curse trust. Hard to build, extremely easy to break.

At that moment, Lovino, who was still propped up next to the cage, started coughing violently. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes.

He didn't have the chance to look around, however, because Antonio crushed him in a hug.

"Lovi! _Mi tomate!_ You're okay!" he sobbed.

Lovino pushed him off, gasping in pain. "Get off, you damn crybaby! Why are you here?"

"You were in trouble, so I had to come save you!" Toni said, hugging him again.

Lovino struggled to throw his arms off. "I don't need your help! I can take care of myself!"

"You can come home now, Lovi!" Antonio laughed, ignoring him. "You should see the tomato garden, it's huge! I'll never let you two go again!"

Lovino flailed and cursed, but Antonio wouldn't let go. Feli thought it looked like fun, so he joined in.

"What a nice family reunion," said a voice out of nowhere.

Gilbert quickly pinpointed the noise, and saw none other that Bonus floating near the ceiling, out of harm's reach.

"You have a lot of nerve coming back," he growled.

She shrugged. "I still have to finish the official procedure."

Antonio looked up and saw the goddess. " _You,_ " he spat.

She seemed unconcerned. "Me," she said calmly.

"Haven't you messed with their lives enough?" Antonio said vehemently, indicating Lovino and Feliciano. "Go away and never come near us again."

"Okay." Bonus turned to Gilbert and Ludwig. "I officially bless you with the Fortis spirit. May the rest of your journey go smoothly, and always remember that the bravery of the entire Fortis clan is with you."

Gilbert didn't feel any different, but he guessed that the blessing was the reason that they had to stop at the temple in the first place.

"Now that we're done, I'm leaving," said Bonus. Ignoring a 'good riddance' from Antonio, she snapped her fingers one last time, and disappeared.

Antonio stood up, Lovino and Feliciano behind him. "Thank you for your help," he said to the group. "We will be going to our own village now. By the way, where are Silky and Dorato?"

"We left them in your house," Gilbert explained. "We didn't want them to be involved in any possible combat."

"Wait," Ludwig spoke up, consulting a map. "Your village is quite far away from here, and it seems we will not be getting any more magical teleportation. Going by yourselves would be dangerous."

"You can travel with us!" Lizzie said excitedly. "The village is on our way, and a crowd of people is much safer than a few individuals."

"Hell no," Lovino spat, but Antonio seemed to be considering it.

"Okay, sounds good!" he exclaimed, and Lovino groaned.

During this discussion, Francis was sitting next to Arthur, who was still breathing very shallowly. The Omnes' face was untroubled, almost peaceful, in sleep. None of the frown lines that usually creased his face showed.

Francis sighed. "I'm sorry, _mon petit lapin,_ " he said. "I fear I was too late. I am scared that it is my fault," he whispered. Apparently not quietly enough, however, as Lizzie came to sit beside them as well, regarding the Docte with hostility.

"As far as I'm concerned, it is your fault. Now come on, we're staying here for the night and leaving in the morning," she said.

Francis and Lizzie pulled Arthur up and supported him down the hall to the room with the beds. After depositing him in one, the rest of the group, including Antonio, Lovino, and Feliciano, all crashed in their own beds.


	12. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

_There's no ships in this, I swear. ...Seriously. Also I made England sound like Iceland at one point, so sorry for that!_

* * *

Once again, Arthur woke up with no memory of falling asleep. He saw that he was still in the Fortis temple 'bed room', but it was dark and silent this time. He was confused for a moment, but it all came rushing back to him when he saw the sleeping forms of his companions. The cage, Gilbert's task, the lack of air…

Arthur winced. He must have passed out from lack of oxygen. But, it did look as if Gilbert and Francis had succeeded and saved them. _A little too late,_ Arthur mused, rubbing his suddenly pounding head.

He was wondering if he could get back to sleep when he heard a strange noise. It sounded as if someone was crying quietly.

He was curious as to what he had missed when unconscious that would lead to someone shedding tears, so he carefully climbed off the bed and crawled along the floor until he came to the bed that the sound was coming from.

Against his better judgement (and to be fair, his brain was still addled from lack of oxygen), he clambered onto the bed of the crying person.

He was surprised to see Francis wiping his eyes, and the Docte looked just as shocked to see him.

Arthur was about to scramble back in terror, but Francis grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Francis!" he hissed. "Let me go!"

" _Non!_ Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" Francis cried quietly. "You wouldn't wake up!"

"What happened, anyway?" Arthur asked, trying to free himself.

"We came back just as everyone was passing out, and quickly got the key in the lock. Antonio scared Bonus, and the others woke up, but you didn't, and I thought…" he trailed off.

"It takes more than that to kill me," Arthur said gruffly, trying to act tough.

"Arthur, you must understand. You stopped _breathing._ I thought you were dead, and I thought it was all my fault." Francis, usually so suave and debonair, was practically whimpering now. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to you."

Arthur tried to scowl. "When did you start caring about me, Frog?"

Francis' eyes widened. "How could I not?" he laughed weakly. "You are the little brother I never had, _mon petit lapin._ "

Arthur felt himself blushing. "Don't call me that!"

"But you hop around and poke your head up from the ground like a little bunny," Francis teased. "It is the perfect nickname."

Arthur turned around and refused to look at him. "I've never had a big brother," he mumbled.

Francis' heart warmed at the words. "I've never had a brother either," he admitted. "But when you explained your situation with family, it made me feel that I should protect you like a brother would do. I know that Alfred-"

Arthur flinched at the name, but didn't say anything.

"I know that he was the world to you," Francis pressed on. "But he is gone, and it is time to move on. What do you say?"

Arthur was silent for a long time. Finally, he muttered, "I'll never forget Alfred. But I know I'll never see him again."

"And?" Francis said encouragingly.

Arthur still didn't look him in the eye. "I suppose you could be my brother…" he said so quietly that Francis almost missed it.

"What was that?" he asked.

Arthur's face turned red again. "You heard me! I said I'd call you big brother."

Francis smiled in gratitude and tried to hug him again, but Arthur pushed him away. "Don't push your luck," he warned.

He left to go back to his own bed to sleep until morning. Really, it was a miracle they hadn't woken up everyone else when they were talking.

Francis watched Arthur settle in, and finally felt relaxed, himself. A knot of worry and fear had loosened in his chest, and he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted.

"Goodnight, Arthur," he called quietly, not expecting a reply.

As he was drifting off to sleep, he thought he heard Arthur mutter, " _Bonne nuit,_ you idiot."

* * *

The next morning, everyone was ready to leave the Fortis temple as fast as possible. Lovino and Feliciano packed all their stuff up, and they departed with an air of being glad to be rid of the place. They all walked to the top of the hill that the temple rested on, and looked off into the distance.

"I can't wait to get home!" Feli said enthusiastically.

"Tch. Keep your voice down, idiot," Lovino scoffed.

"Don't tell me you aren't excited, Lovi!" Feli smiled, not to be deterred.

Lovino sneered, but didn't say anything.

Antonio was standing at the front of the group, next to Ludwig, who had the map. He seemed to be locating Viridi-Cana-Rubra (why did it have such a long name, anyway) on the piece of paper.

"Right, we should reach the village in a few days, if we walk at a steady pace," Ludwig announced. "We should get going."

They set off, splitting up into little groups. Antonio was talking and laughing with Lovino, who was scowling and trying to ignore him. Lizzie was talking animatedly with Feli, who was nodding and chiming in at times. Gilbert was teasing Ludwig about something, and Ludwig was smiling good-naturedly. That left Arthur and Francis at the back of the group. Francis was trying to talk to Arthur, but the Omnes was staying silent, lost in his own thoughts.

Francis fell into a pensive silence as well. For the first time in a while, he thought about Matthew, the silver lynx. He wondered why the lynx had chosen to visit him in his dreams, of all people.

Then, he remembered that since he was lonely while everyone was shunning him after pretending to want to leave Arthur behind, he had spilled his life story to the silver animal. Not the best idea, in retrospect. _Oh well,_ he thought grimly. _What's done is done, I suppose. Nothing I can do about it now. I only hope it won't come back to bite me._

While walking, conversation slowly petered out. They were climbing some pretty steep hills now, so everyone was trying to save their energy to make it as far as possible. Unfortunately, that also gave everyone much too much time to think.

It was just dawning on Lovino how close he had come to death. He wasn't afraid of dying, he would tell you that any day. But after the events that just happened, he realized that he never wanted to see his _fratello_ so close to death. Feliciano was always the weaker-willed one, and almost dying must have shaken him up greatly, even if he didn't show it. The thought made him want to punch the goddess' face in. After the sorrows that already filled their life, they needed no more interference from the blasted Fortis goddess ever again.

Feliciano was plagued by conflicting emotions. He was still terrified after being trapped in an airtight cage like a wild animal, and from seeing his caretaker so wildly out of control, wielding his axe like a madman. He was happy that they had escaped, but tired from climbing the hills. He liked the travellers and wanted to be friends forever with them, but they would have to leave soon and he would likely never see them again. Finally, after telling the story of he and his brother's journey long ago to the big city, he was now having flashbacks of the nice boy with piercing blue eyes. Eyes just like Ludwig, now that he thought about it. He tried to gather up the courage to ask him about it as they kept forcing their way up the hills.

Antonio was visibly trembling. The climb was no problem, but the worries that tormented his mind refused to go away. All he could see was the image of the lifeless people in the cage, Lovino and Arthur not waking up, and the goddess smiling smugly. He made a fist and promised that one day, he'd get his revenge on the deity that had made his charges' lives hell. All because of that one time ten years ago, when they were five and Antonio was only six… He was young, but he remembered that day like it was only yesterday. The way that Lovi and Feli's parents, as well as his own, told them that they were going on a trip because their goddess had called to them. The elders telling them that their parents weren't coming back. The day that Antonio vowed to always take care of the Vargas brothers and never let anything hurt them.

Lizzie was still shaken up, though she tried to act confident. She merely laughed it off when Gilbert had pulled her aside and asked her if she was okay. She had scoffed at him and told her that she was as strong as any man, and he didn't need to worry about her just because she was a girl. But now, thinking about the worry she had seen in Gilbert's eyes when she had said it, she realized that he wasn't saying it because she was female. He was truly concerned for her, just like she was for him when he took so long to save them. She had thought that Bonus had set up a trap to catch Gilbert and Francis, therefore causing everyone to die. For the hundredth time, she thought about her childhood, and how fun it had been to play with that boy in the woods. She was glad that she met up with her childhood friend again. With that thought, she then remembered that the Bellator temple was next. Bonus had insisted that it was the Bellator goddess that forced her to make the trial more 'death-defying', so Lizzie was sure that no one was looking forward to arriving at her temple. _And that includes me._

Gilbert replayed the little task Bonus had sentenced them to in his mind. He berated himself. He told himself that he could have been faster. No one deserved to be stuck in an airtight cage, blindly hoping that the people that have been assigned to whether you live or die will arrive in time. If he and Francis had not taken the time to have a talk, if they had convinced the bartender faster, if they had hurried Toni up when he was getting the key. All the little things they had stopped for was another second of the others slowly dying. Gilbert muttered a curse. He wouldn't be surprised if the others refused to talk to him from now on, seeing as it was basically his fault that Arthur and Lovino almost didn't make it. He hauled himself over another boulder and stooped to help Lizzie up as well. When his red eyes connected with her green ones, he instantly felt a bit more relaxed. She seemed to radiate courage, and it calmed him down. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Ludwig hated feeling powerless. He disliked it when he could do nothing about his own situation, especially if he or his friends were in danger. He hadn't been with the group as long, but he already knew that these were his allies, and he was bonded with them just as strongly as any of them were to each other. He scowled slightly when he thought about the problem of the missing animal companions. He had lost his own bear, Felix, in the maze back at home, and Ludwig had not been able to find him. He hoped that Felix was with the other captured companions, if only to reassure him that the bear was not alone. Speaking of animal companions, Ludwig mused, it seemed that some knew how to talk and some didn't. All the way back in the Fortis City, the gang Nordic Five had animals that could speak to them, and there was no surprise, so he guessed that they had always been able to. However, the Vargas' animals didn't seem to speak. He wondered if that was because Feliciano and Lovino didn't know that animal companions had the potential to talk. Deep in these thoughts, Ludwig almost tripped over a large rock. Cursing his absentmindedness, he decided to just focus on the hike at hand. And definitely _not_ think about how Feliciano's story had sparked something in him, something he knew he should be remembering.

Francis' thoughts turned, finally, to his mysterious powers. In the wake of all that had happened in the past few days, he had almost forgotten about them, but now it was impossible to ignore. He looked at his still-bandaged arm that no one else seemed to notice and sighed. For good or for worse, he had these powers, and it was up to him to use them properly. He knew that if he revealed his secret, he would probably be shunned even more than he already had, so he prayed that Lizzie wouldn't tell anyone. Her attitude towards him was proof enough that he should keep this particular secret under wraps along with his arm for the time being. If the _ombre_ suddenly attacked, however, he wondered if he would be able to conceal it anymore. He shook his head and tried to dispel those negative thoughts. They would make it through this. They had to.

Arthur was sick and tired of stewing in his thoughts. Five years. That's how long he had no one but himself for company. All he could do was contemplate his own failures. Now, he was reminded of the past as they trudged along in silence. He cursed himself for being weak. He had magic! He probably could have gotten them out of the cage if he hadn't been panicking. Bonus hadn't even disarmed them, for the goddesses' sake! Useless. Utterly useless. He didn't deserve to be the leader of this stupid quest. As if sensing his pessimistic thoughts, Francis looked over at Arthur and smiled in encouragement. Arthur scowled in response, but Francis just winked at him and turned back to face the front. Arthur stuck his tongue out at the Docte's back childishly. He did feel a little better, though. Maybe, with the help of his... _friends_...he _could_ do this, after all.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of climbing those stupid rocks, the sun slipped below the horizon and Ludwig deemed that they should stop for the night. Everyone flopped to the ground, immensely relieved.

Feliciano fell asleep on the ground immediately, and Antonio started to prepare some food. When Francis approached him, offering help, Antonio replied that since they were kind enough to travel with them, he was going to pay them back with a meal. Lizzie and Arthur prepared a camp as Antonio got a fire going, and the others went to explore the immediate area. Soon, the smell of food cooking drew everyone back around the fire. Even Feli woke up and sat down with them eagerly.

"Dig in, everybody!" Antonio said cheerfully, passing plates around.

There were muffled thanks as everyone ate their food. Of course, it was delicious, and it had them all feeling sleepy as the smoke from the fire curled lazily towards the stars.

Lovino sat on a log farther away. "I'm taking watch," he spat. "The rest of you would probably fall asleep, dammit."

There was no protest as they settled into their bags and dropped off to sleep.

* * *

After Francis fell asleep, he once again woke up in the plain cream coloured dream-field. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when not only one dark shape approached him in the fog, but two. As they came closer, he could distinguish Matthew, but couldn't tell who the other one was. They stopped right before him, still wreathed in fog.

"Francis." Matthew's voice was soft and inviting, and Francis felt himself relaxing at the sound of it.

"I've brought someone to see you," the lynx said.

The fog finally cleared, and there stood Beau, Francis' fox.

With a cry of joy, the fox leaped into Francis arms. "I missed you!" Beau cried.

He hugged the animal softly, thoughts too addled to notice that his fox could now speak to him. "I missed you too, _mon petit renard!_ Where did you go?"

Beau nuzzled his cheek with his little nose. "I don't know… But can I stay with you now?"

Francis was confused. "What do you mean, you don't know?" he asked.

Beau blinked. "Well, I was with you one moment, and then it was kinda dark for a while. I think I heard Eros and Kralle somewhere, but I couldn't find them. Then, a glowy thing was coming towards me, so I ran to it! It was Matthew, and he said that if I followed him, I could see you again. So I did, and now you're here!"

Francis stroked Beau's head. "Hmm…" he murmured.

Matthew spoke up. "This is only a dream, I'm afraid. You are not truly together."

Francis' heart dropped, and Beau let out a whimper.

"However," the lynx said, "there is a way to make this a reality. Would you like that, Francis?"

"Yes," the Docte mumbled. "I would like that very much."

Matthew's eyes were sympathetic. "It is very easy to do, really. All you have to do is lead your friends to a certain spot after you're done at the Bellator temple. There, you will find your animal companions."

"That's it? No catch?" Francis asked warily.

"No catch," Matthew promised. "It's perfectly safe."

Now, Francis was a Docte. He was born and raised to be wily. But, those instincts abandoned him as he looked into the lynx's deep violet eyes. He found himself believing every word, because why would Matthew lie to him? Matthew was his friend, right?

"Will you be there?" Matthew asked quietly.

" _Oui,_ I will!" Francis nodded.

Beau jumped down from his arms. "It was nice to see you," he told Francis sadly.

"You too. _Au revoir,_ my friend."

Matthew beckoned the fox with his tail. "Come along now. Francis will be there before you know it." He held Francis with a piercing gaze for a moment, then looked away.

They padded away, growing smaller, gradually being obscured by the mist that swirled around them. Francis blinked, and they were gone.

He opened his eyes just in time to see a pebble hurtling towards his face. He quickly rolled to the side, barely dodging it.

"Who threw that?" he whisper-shouted, seeing it was still dark outside.

"Get up, you damn bastard," came the harsh reply. "I've been trying to wake you up for five minutes! It's your turn for watch!"

Francis got up, seeing Lovino standing at least a metre away. "Why are you all the way over there?"

"Are you kidding?" Lovino snarled. "There's no way I would go close to you while no one else is awake!"

Francis rolled his eyes, but went over to the watch log. "Goodnight, then," he said sarcastically.

There was no reply but a snore. Apparently Lovino could fall asleep as fast as his brother.

One uneventful watch later, Francis decided to wake up Antonio next.

"Toni, wake up," he whispered, shaking him slightly.

Antonio refused to. Francis guessed that he was a deep sleeper.

Francis had no choice but to grab some water and splash it on him. That woke him up in a hurry.

"Antonio, _mon ami_ , it is your turn for watch," Francis quickly said, dodging a reflexive fist before going back to his own spot and lying down.

Unfortunately, he was finding it hard to get back to sleep. He wondered when they were going to get their animal companions back. He would lead the others to the spot, he decided, whatever it may be. The others would surely like and trust him again after he reunited them with their friends.

* * *

The next morning, they were ready to travel again. Luckily, they had left the steep climbing behind, and an empty field of grass spread out before them, seeming to touch the horizon.

"Don't tell me we have to walk through the whole thing!" Gilbert cried, aghast.

Ludwig nodded grimly.

Feliciano whimpered.

"Don't worry!" said Antonio cheerfully. "It'll be over before we know it!"

"Stop being so happy about it!" Lovino grumbled.

Francis mustered a smile. "Antonio is right. We shall press on!"

Arthur kicked him in the shin. "I'm with Lovino on this one. Stop trying to be positive."

Francis winced. "Now that you have maimed me, I fear I cannot make it…"

Arthur smirked. "There you go. Good old pessimism."

They made it about thirty metres before Gilbert called for a rest.

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "We've barely even started, _bruder_. Are you really tired already?"

Gilbert shook his head. "I was just thinking of Lizzie," he blurted. "She must be tired, so I called a rest for her, not me."

Lizzie took out her frying pan that she seemed to have on her at all times. "I'm about to bash your face in," she threatened calmly. "Care to revise that sentence?"

Gilbert put his hand on his axe nervously. "Whoa, no need to ruin my awesome features with your weapon of destruction again."

Francis smirked. "You'd better tell the truth then, _mon ami._ "

Antonio laughed. "You've been found out, _mi amigo_."

Gilbert crossed his arms. "I'm not tired!" he retorted defensively. "But, uh... Arthur! Arthur is really tired, and he asked me if I could be awesome and ask for a rest so that he didn't have to."

Arthur, who wasn't paying attention, imparted some words of wisdom upon the group: "Say what?"

"See, there we go!" Gilbert crowed. "Now that that's settled, we should get going again, come on!"

Gilbert took the lead and beckoned to everyone. "Just follow the awesome me!"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Only follow him if you want to go back the way we came, to the Fortis temple."

His brother abruptly turned around. " _Now_ follow me!"

Ludwig sighed. He turned Gilbert in the right direction. "How about we follow the one with the map?"

Arthur waved his hand impatiently. "Okay, now that you've had your brother moment, can we _go?_ "

Lovino nodded, scowling. "We have to get home, and you oafs are making this journey even worse than it already is."

Antonio pet Lovino on the head, laughing. "But Lovi, don't you think it's fun to travel with friends?"

Lovino violently shoved Toni's hand off his head, shot a few swear words at him, and lapsed into a grumpy silence.

The next hour of the journey was nice, for once. The eight chatted idly as they walked. Their pace wasn't that fast, so they were able to keep going for a longer time.

Feliciano was talking excitedly to Ludwig. "Our home is by a nice vineyard! We grow grapes and make them into wine! We also have a nice tomato patch, but I'm not allowed near that. It's Lovi and big brother Toni's."

"Very interesting, Feliciano," Ludwig said, hiding a yawn.

"When we were forced to go on guard duty, Lovi was really upset! He swore a lot and broke a lot of stuff," Feli said, shivering at the memory. "Big brother Toni was also sad. He didn't want to let us go, but the elders insisted."

"Hnm," said Ludwig, half-listening.

"I didn't want to go either, but now I'm glad I did."

"Why is that, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked.

Feli broke into a wide smile. "Because I got to meet you, Luddie!"

Ludwig felt his face heat up a little bit. "R-really?"

"Of course!" Feli nodded. "You're so nice! Let's be friends forever!"

Ludwig looked down. Not many people liked him because of his strict and seemingly cold personality, but he was really just trying to be friendly. No one had ever asked him to be his friend.

" _Ja,_ " he said, smiling slightly at Feliciano. "Let us be friends."

Meanwhile, Gilbert was getting into a fight with Lizzie.

"I could kick your butt any day!" he laughed.

"Ha!" Lizzie snorted. "I'd like to see you try!"

"I would win a fight between us, you know!" he insisted.

"Says the one with their face imprinted in my frying pan."

"Yeah, but who _does_ that?" Gilbert whined. "You just smashed my face in, no questions asked!"

Lizzie shrugged. "You were the one sounding like a crazy person as you wandered through a forest, swearing to yourself."

"Hey, if you stubbed your feet on rocks as many times as I did, you would be swearing too," Gilbert said defensively. The he grinned. "Although, you are a _lady_...so I guess you wouldn't swear."

"Excuse me?!" Lizzie sputtered. "I can cuss just as much as you!"

"Yeah?" Gilbert smirked. "I bet not."

Lizzie let loose a torrent of swears at him, some so bad that ahead of them, Ludwig covered Feliciano's ears and glared at them.

At the end of it, Lizzie was panting. Gilbert smiled nervously. "I'm just gonna go over here bye!"

He scampered away, effectively ending the conversation.

Lizzie tossed her head haughtily. "Coward."

Behind them, and thankfully out of earshot, Francis and Antonio were exchanging recipes.

"The key is in the amount of time you cook it," Francis was explaining. "It doesn't turn out as well if you leave it too long."

Antonio nodded. "Ah, I see. It sounds like the churros I make sometimes. Oh, how I love churros..." His eyes glazed over as he fell into a daydream of one of his favourite foods.

Francis chuckled. "Not the brightest, are you, _mon ami?_ "

"Sorry, did you say something?" Toni asked, blinking.

"Nothing. Now, I believe you were talking about churros?"

"Oh, yes! Lovi loves my cooking too, although he would never admit it," Antonio said, laughing. "He also likes to go to the local diner/bar and have waffles. To be honest, I think he used to have a crush on the waitress there!"

"How nice it must have been to have little brothers," Francis said wistfully.

"You don't?" Toni asked curiously.

The Docte shook his head. "No. I was born an only child in a relatively well-off family. None of the other children wanted to play with me when I was young because they thought that I was some snobby rich kid. They didn't even take the chance to get to know me." He sighed heavily. "Oh well. I am now getting to go on the adventure that I was craving, and I've even found a substitute little brother."

"Really? Who?"

"Arthur," Francis said, smiling fondly. "He is so lost and alone. He needs someone at his side, supporting him."

"You seem like a great big brother, Francis!" Antonio said happily. "I'm glad your wish is coming true."

"Me as well," Francis agreed. "And I am glad that you are finally getting your little brothers back. Losing them for a while must have been horrible."

"It was," Toni nodded. "I was so mad when the elders chose them. I mean, there were a bunch of other people they could've chosen! You remember Lars? He and his sister Bella would have been much better to choose for guard duty. Have you _seen_ the guy? He's creepy as hell!"

Francis laughed. "I think you are only saying this because you don't like him."

"Details," Toni said offhandedly.

Francis put his hand on Antonio's shoulder. "Sometimes it is the details that count, _oui?_ "

Lovino, a ways behind the rest of the group, saw everyone else conversing. He sighed with relief, seeing that he didn't have to talk to anyone and could stew in his thoughts alone.

"What do you say we introduce ourselves again?" asked a voice behind him.

Lovino inwardly groaned. It was Arthur. "Why would we do that, dimwit?"

Arthur shrugged. "Our first meeting was kind of a shouting match."

Lovino narrowed his eyes. "Why should I? This group is full of imbeciles. Why would I want to talk to any of you?"

"Yeah, these guys are idiots," Arthur agreed.

Lovino scowled. When he tried to insult people, the worst thing that they could do was brush it off and pretend that they were actually holding a normal conversation. The only other person that did that was Antonio, and it was infuriating.

"I mean," Arthur continued, "they thought it was a good idea to just walk completely vulnerable through this wide open field without posting a lookout in the front and back. Anything could sneak up on us now, and we would only have ourselves to blame."

Lovino pretended to ignore him, but had to admit that the thought of that had occurred to him, as well.

"That's why I'm here at the back." Arthur looked at him. "Keeping watch. Are you?"

Lovino shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

Arthur smiled triumphantly. "Good. Now we can tell everyone 'I told you so' when we are attacked from behind."

Lovino snorted. "They would deserve it, if they're too dumb to think about the problem in the first place."

Arthur chuckled. "Agreed."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "In fact, I'm surprised my _fratello_ and I stayed alive this long, with Antonio looking after us. He's clueless."

"Except when you're in danger, apparently," Arthur offered.

"Yeah," Lovino said quietly. He thought about it for a second. "You know, he never told us why he's our guardian in the first place. He's practically the same age as us, yet he still got custody when our parents died."

Arthur shook his head. "I guess that's a question you'll have to ask him."

Lovino nodded broodingly. They settled in a comfortable silence for a while, the voices of the others drifting back with the wind. It seemed that someone was arguing up ahead.

Lovino was first to break the silence. "That story that my _fratello_ told in the cage…"

Arthur grinned. "Did you realize it too?"

"How could I not?" Lovino said, rolling his eyes again. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that the only ones who didn't clue in were the potato bastard and my brother."

"It's so obvious he was talking about Ludwig. The look on Ludwig's face when he was telling the story! It looked like he was trying to remember a repressed memory," Arthur recalled.

"I was there, and I can tell you that the boy we met definitely looked like the potato," Lovino said. "His food was bad, too, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"I guess it's just a matter of time until one of them figures it out," Arthur smirked.

"Maybe they shouldn't, though," Lovino said, biting his lip. "I mean...I want my _fratello_ to be happy, but my group and yours are parting ways at our village. There's a pretty small chance that we'll ever see each other again, and if Feliciano knew, then it might hurt him more."

Arthur looked at the distant figures of Ludwig and Feliciano. "It looks like they're getting along. I hope that everything works out."

Lovino nodded silently. After a beat of silence, he sighed.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Look, I'm sorry," Lovino burst out, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry that I swore and argued and insulted you when we first met. I'm just not very good at communicating with people, I guess..."

Arthur looked taken aback slightly at Lovino's apology. "Oh! Well, I completely understand. I have no idea how to talk to people either, pretty much. So, I'm sorry, too."

Lovino smiled slightly. "Yeah."

"You can smile?" Arthur laughed.

"Hey, I could say the same to you," Lovino chuckled.

Up ahead, they watched Gilbert run away Lizzie, probably in fear.

"So, you can speak Italian, right?" Lovino asked.

Arthur nodded. "Yeah. When you're alone for as long as I was, learning different languages is a fun way to pass the time."

Lovino was impressed. "How many do you know?"

Arthur shrugged. "At least eight."

"Can we talk in Italian?" Lovino asked hesitantly. "I haven't been able to lately, and I miss it."

They continued their conversation in Italian until Ludwig called for a rest stop. The sun was setting by that point, and everyone was awash in a reddish glow.

"Can I cook dinner today?" Arthur asked Francis.

"Sure," he said, surprised. "Do you know how?"

Arthur scowled. "Of course I do!"

The Docte chuckled. "It is all yours, then."

Lovino wandered over to where Arthur was looking at the food they had. "What are you doing, bastard?"

"I'm making dinner," Arthur explained.

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how to cook?"

"Yes! Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"I should help," Lovino decided. "To make sure you don't mess up, it's not because I want to," he added hastily.

"Oh, okay," Arthur said absentmindedly.

Behind them, Antonio and Francis watched them curiously.

"Since when are they such good friends?" Francis asked.

Antonio repressed a squeal. "I read about this in a book once! They're so tsundere!"

Francis raised a delicate eyebrow. "Excuse me?" was what he said, when really he was thinking _why is Toni acting like a teenage girl?_

"It's when they act like you don't like you," Antonio explained, stifling another giggle, "but they actually do. They blush and make excuses and usually are mean towards you, but that's just their way of saying that they care about you. Isn't it _cute?_ "

Francis hid his smile. _What book was this, again?_ "Now that you mention it, Arthur and Lovino _do_ fit that description."

Gilbertsuddenly popped up from wherever he was eavesdropping on them from. "Hey! We should call them the tsundere duo! If you count West, they're a trio!"

"It is not nice to listen in on other people's conversations, _mon ami_ ," Francis sighed.

"Why Ludwig?" asked Antonio.

Gilbert smirked. "Just look." He gestured to Ludwig, who had a small blush on his face as Feli hugged him randomly.

Francis shook his head. "I don't know it I'd call that-"

Gilbert barrelled on, ignoring Francis. "If they're a trio, are we a trio?"

"Of course!" Antonio said happily.

"What's the name of our new trio?" Gilbert asked excitedly.

Francis smiled, a glint coming into his eye. "Well, what do we all have in common?"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Don't know about you two, but I'm pretty smooth. I got girls practically swooning at my door."

"Really?" Francis asked, amused. "I have to say that I have attracted my fair share of maidens, as well."

Antonio laughed. "Me too! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The Bad-"

"Touch," added Francis slyly.

"Trio!" exclaimed Gilbert.

Just then, there was a sound like an explosion near the fire they had made. Arthur and Lovino were waving the smoke away, coughing, while Feli was hiding behind Ludwig and waving a white piece of cloth tied to a stick, blubbering about having relatives somewhere.

"What happened?" Francis demanded.

"Don't let this guy near food ever again!" Lovino coughed, pointing at Arthur. "No matter what he tells you, he _cannot_ cook!"

"I don't know what went wrong!" protested Arthur. "I just put it over the fire like Francis did, and-"

"You need to know how long certain foods can be over the fire, _mon lapin_ ," Francis said gently. "Now, tell the truth. Do you know how to cook?"

"No," muttered Arthur, looking away. "The only thing I can make are scones, and A-Alfred always said that they were horrible."

"Don't worry, Arthur," Francis comforted. "Not everyone can be good at cooking."

Arthur scowled and rubbed his face, turning his head away. "I burned a sodding bowl of cereal once."

Antonio looked at the remains of whatever Arthur had tried to cook. "We can still make the food. Lovi and I will do it."

"That would be _manifique,_ Antonio. Come, _lapin,_ let us sit over here," Francis said, directing Arthur to a secluded patch of clovers, well away from the others.

They sat down in amid the tiny blossoms. "What is bothering you, _cher?_ " Francis asked him.

Arthur picked a few pieces of grass and toyed with them. "It's just...I feel useless. I feel like I can't do anything right."

Francis put his arms around the younger boy comfortingly. They were sitting so that Arthur was practically in Francis' lap, and the Docte was putting his head on Arthur's shoulder from behind. " _Cher,_ you should never feel like that. Everyone on this quest wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you."

Arthur muttered assent. "I guess." He ran his hand over the bandages still adorning Francis' arm. "How's your...problem?"

Francis winced. "Still present, I'm afraid."

"Does it hurt?" Arthur wondered.

" _Non_ , not usually. Only when we are around the _ombre_. I hope that when this is all over, the wounds will fade."

"When this is all over," Arthur echoed. "What _are_ we going to do when this is over?"

"Go home, I guess," Francis murmured.

Arthur seemed to shrink a little. "I don't have anything to go back to."

"Relax, _lapin_ ," Francis said, hugging him tighter. "You can come live with me, if you like."

Arthur looked up at him, his emerald green eyes sparked with a new hope. "R-really?"

"Of course," Francis promised. "You are my little brother now, _non?_ "

Arthur nodded hesitantly. He picked another clover and looked at it in surprise. The four leaves were mere shadows against the setting sun.

"Is this normal?" he asked Francis. "The others all have three leaves."

"A four leaved clover symbolizes luck," Francis told him, smiling warmly. "Maybe yours is getting better."

Arthur sighed contentedly. He leaned back on Francis. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"It is no problem," Francis replied. "I am always here for you, _lapin_."

"Always?"

"Always and forever."

* * *

 _Like I said. Noooo ships. Sorry for not updating for a month._


	13. Together At Last

_Terribly sorry for the two month wait. I will try to make updates more frequent._

* * *

The next morning, Arthur told Ludwig about the importance of posting sentries at the front and back of the group when walking in an open area. Ludwig agreed and decided that they would use the buddy system. Two people in the back, two sets of two in the middle, and two in the front.

"Okay," Ludwig said, pacing in front of the group. "I have chosen the pairs, so no whining about who your buddy is. I assure you that the choosing was random. Now, in the front will be Lizzie and myself. In the middle will be Feliciano and Antonio, and behind them will be Francis and Gilbert. In the back will be Arthur and Lovino. Take your positions, and let's be off. If we keep a good pace, we should be there by tomorrow morning, at least."

Arthur obediently moved to the back with Lovino.

"I guess we're here again," he commented.

Lovino nodded. "Hey, why were you so wound up yesterday?"

Arthur shrugged. "This is still rather overwhelming for me."

"Yeah." Lovino was quiet a moment. "Hey, Arthur."

"Hm?" Arthur was surprised that Lovino had called him by his actual name.

"If we never see each other again after this, then..." Lovino hesitated. "I'm glad that I got to be your friend," he said hurriedly.

Arthur was touched. "Y-yeah, me too."

Lovino turned away and didn't speak to him for a long time after that.

Arthur knew just how hard it must have been for the hot-tempered Lovino to say that, so he kept silent, too. He realized that he and Lovino were rather similar, and if given the chance, could be really good friends. It made him sad to think that he might not see him ever again.

When the sun was directly overhead, Ludwig called a rest stop.

"We are making good time," he observed, checking over the map again. "We might even make it by tonight, if we don't stop anymore."

Everyone took this news in silence. No one was looking forward to that time.

After a short break in which everyone had a bit of water, they set off again. The sun was climbing higher in the sky with every step they covered, and it was soon burning directly overhead.

Not wanting to be silent in their last hours together, the group made small talk. It was rather half-hearted though, as the eventual separation loomed over them.

Arthur didn't know why he felt so crushed. They had barely known Feliciano, Lovino, and Antonio for any time at all, yet the bonds with his group and theirs already felt very strong, particularly between Ludwig and Feli and between Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio. And, of course, between himself and Lovino.

 _Is this what having true friends is like?_ Arthur asked himself. _I have many more now than I ever thought I would have before. I just wish..._

Before he could finish the thought, Ludwig stopped abruptly. "We are having another rest stop here," he said, without looking at anyone.

With a happy exclamation of, "Ve~!" Feliciano hugged Ludwig briefly and skipped off to look at a pretty bird he had spotted.

Gilbert grinned and winked at Ludwig, who avoided his gaze.

However, as everyone has to learn eventually, no good thing can last forever. Much too soon, the sky glowed orange in the light of the setting sun. A few plumes of smoke could be seen rising a short distance away, signalling a village.

Gilbert sighed as he shaded his eyes and looked towards the village. "I guess this is it, huh? In the morning, we'll have to..."

Lovino scowled. "I thought I would be happy to get home. Tch..."

Feliciano frowned, tears glimmering in his eyes. "I don't want to say goodbye, Luddie! I want to keep travelling with you!"

Lovino sent his brother a harsh glare. "We're not part of the legend, idiot. We have to stay at home and leave them to their journey."

"But won't you miss them, Lovi?" Feliciano asked in surprise.

"N-no!" Lovino shouted. "I'll be glad to be rid of them!"

Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert were setting up camp nearby.

"He'll really miss you guys," Antonio translated Lovino's 'tsundere' speak.

Gilbert looked sad. "Do you really have to go, Toni? We can't be a trio without the third person..."

Antonio nodded. "As much as we all want to stay, Lovi is right. We're not part of the legend. You must keep on going without us. But..." he hesitated. Then he looked up and gave a small smile. "After you save the world, will you come visit sometime?"

Gilbert burst out laughing. "C'mere!" he said joyfully, enveloping Antonio in an (awesome) hug. Francis chuckled at the look on Antonio's face and joined in.

"Are you going to help, or keep hugging like idiots?" Lovino yelled angrily at them. "Do some work or something!"

With rather heavy hearts, the group finished setting up for the night. Gilbert took the first watch and everyone else gradually dropped off to sleep.

* * *

During the night, Arthur had a very strange dream. He had seen three people, back to back, holding up tomes and chanting urgently. The sounds surrounding the three had been clashing of swords and roars of the wounded. Arthur couldn't tell what was going on at the time, but he thought he recognized on of the three people as himself, standing out because of his cloak. The second had looked a little familiar (though he hadn't been able to place whom) and the third was quite unknown to him.

Upon waking, he puzzled over this for a bit before dismissing it with a shrug. Maybe it was nothing.

As everyone else woke up amid the weak sunlight, the mood was dampened. Feliciano was sniffling more than usual and Lovino was snapping at the others more. Finally, the last bit of camp was cleaned up and there were no more excuses.

Feli embraced Ludwig. He mumbled something to the Fortis that made him smile slightly and pat him on the head awkwardly.

Antonio and Lovino pried him off Ludwig and nodded a final goodbye. They waved, turned, and in a blink, they were gone.

Arthur scowled. It was so unfair. Did meeting someone only mean that you would one day have to say goodbye?

Lizzie sighed. "We have to go on," she reminded the others. "We can't let this stop us. We have to do this for all the people of Terra Deaeque."

Ludwig nodded firmly. "Let's go."

They turned away from the village and continued past it, the sun climbing in the sky.

They were mostly silent for the walk, occasionally stopping to switch up the positions in which they occupied to take watch and keep an eye out. In what seemed barely any time at all, they had reached the treeline of a thick, dark forest.

"This is the border between Procul and the Bellator territory," Ludwig observed, studying the map. "If we keep going north from here, we should reach a small village called Vitta soon, right next to the Bellator temple. We can rest there for a bit before taking on the next trial."

Lizzie furrowed her brow uncertainly. "I sure hope we meet up with the other Bellator soon. I don't fancy having to take on the trial without them."

"I'm sure things'll work out!" Gilbert guessed. "Maybe we'll find them in this village?"

"Hmm." Lizzie shrugged. "I find it kinda strange that they weren't led to Arthur like the rest of us."

"Well, I'm sure there's a reason," Francis said.

Arthur added, "Ludwig didn't need to receive a dream, obviously. But if this person was this far away from all of us, then I guess it wasn't as simple."

"At any rate," Ludwig said, rolling up the map, "we should make headway into this forest before the sun sets. We should be able to reach the village by the day after tomorrow, if we keep a steady pace."

They found a small, winding path to follow, ducking under low hanging branches and avoiding any clusters of suspicious-looking plants. Soon, although it was quite hard to tell with such a dense canopy, the sun had set beneath the horizon and an almost suffocating darkness had fallen upon the forest.

"I say we set up camp before someone trips and breaks their neck," Gilbert suggested.

No one could argue with that, so they managed to set up next to what seemed to be a odd slope of some kind.

* * *

Arthur took first watch. About half an hour of boredom passed, with nary a sound but the shifting of trees and the occasional night-time creature going about its business.

Arthur yawned. It was almost time to switch. He was about to get up, but then he heard it. A rustling noise that sounded like it was made by something larger than the usual small creature. The rustling turned into the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth, and Arthur decided he'd better investigate. Hopping down from the large rock he was seated on quietly, he pulled up his hood and headed towards the commotion.

He hid behind a particularly thick-trunked tree and peered out, only to see very strange sight.

A beautiful spotted deer was forging through the woods, occasionally looking back and whispering words of encouragement. Stumbling along behind it was a small girl, fourteen at the most, looking as if she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Arthur hesitated. He knew it was a bad idea to reveal their location to anyone, because you never knew who could stab you in the back later, but this girl was obviously tired, hurt, and in desperate need of shelter and a meal. Crawling to a bush, still out of sight, he weighed the pros and cons of helping her.

Before he could decide, the girl made his decision for him. She tripped and fell right into his hiding spot behind the bush, slamming into him with a cry of pain and knocking them both a ways away.

Arthur sat up, rubbing his head. "Watch where you're going," he groaned.

The girl scrambled away from him, fear in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry!" she cried. "I didn't see you there, and it's dark, and…"

"Calm down," Arthur muttered halfheartedly. He supposed that now that they had seen each other, he had to take her to the impromptu camp that they had made.

She looked at him, trembling. "W-who are you?"

Arthur chose to ignore that question as he looked around. "Where did that deer you were with go? What was it doing, anyway?"

The girl looked around her as well. "Melody started acting weird the other day. She kept trying to go into the dangerous woods bordering my village. She spoke to me, which I didn't know was possible, and told me that I had to follow her to achieve my destiny. We got lost, though."

Arthur didn't know why she was spilling all her troubles to a stranger she just met that refused to introduce himself, but he chalked it up to her being tired and frightened.

"What's your name?" he asked as gently as he could.

"Lili," she said, looking him directly in the eyes, making Arthur feel uncomfortable again. Her eyes were deep green-blue, different from his own emerald. Her gaze was strong, and Arthur felt an inexplicable urge to turn away.

Breaking eye contact, he hurriedly turned back the way he had come.

"Come with me if you want shelter," he instructed. Without waiting for an answer, he strode back up his path.

He could hear her hastily following him. Perhaps a bad choice, Arthur mused, though it looked like all rational judgement had abandoned the poor girl at the mention of a safe place to rest.

When he arrived at the camp, he expected it to be as silent as he had left it. On the contrary, however, all of his friends were awake and roaming around, seeming to be anxiously searching for something.

Arthur felt a pang of guilt. How long had he taken? He was supposed to be on watch, and then he just disappeared… No wonder they looked upset. Gesturing for Lili to stay put for a moment, he purposely made a lot of noise as he deftly slid down the incline they had situated their camp near.

Francis was on him in an instant, scolding him. "You cannot just disappear on us!Do you know how worried we were?"

"Yeah, yeah." Arthur shook off Francis and addressed the others. "Everyone, I've made kind of an important discovery."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Important enough to leave everybody at risk at night?"

Arthur glared back. "Yes," he said. "I think you'll agree that it _was_ rather important."

Lizzie leaned forward. "Then why don't you show us this 'oh so important' reason?"

Gilbert laughed. "Cat fight," he remarked to Ludwig, smirking. His brother nodded silently, a smile twitching at his mouth.

"You can come out now," Arthur called behind him.

Lizzie froze. "You brought a _person_ into the camp!?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" She turned to the figure making its way down the slight incline. "I hope you know what you're doing, Arthur."

Arthur crossed his arms. "She's tired, hungry, and in need of shelter," he retorted. "What would _you_ have done?"

Lizzie frowned. "Can we trust her?"

"Ask her yourself," Arthur replied irritably.

Lili botched the landing to the slope and tripped, falling to the ground. Arthur made no move to help her, regarding her with his arms crossed as she picked herself back up and stood in front of them.

Francis looked at Arthur with some disapproval for letting such a delicate girl fall over, but let it slide. He supposed the girl had to prove herself to the group, and requiring assistance from the get-go was not a very good start.

After an uncomfortable silence, Lizzie spoke first. "What's your name, dear?" she asked with a surprisingly tender tone.

"L-Lili," she said quietly, staring at Lizzie with wide eyes.

"Why are you all alone in the forest?" Lizzie quizzed.

Lili nervously adjusted the ribbon in her hair, which had miraculously stayed on through her entire experience. "My animal companion led me here, but we got lost." She swallowed. "Then I saw that boy-" she gestured to Arthur- "and Melody disappeared. He told me that there was shelter this way, and I am terribly sorry to intrude, but I have been lost for quite a while..."

Lizzie smiled softly. "Of course you can stay," she said warmly. "What is your clan, dear?"

"Bellator."

Lizzie's smile widened. "Me too! Now, come with me. Let's get you some food."

The two Bellators disappeared into one of the tents.

The others stayed outside. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Gilbert asked excitedly.

"No, what?" Francis asked.

Gilbert lowered his voice conspiratorially. "You know. A mysterious girl comes out of nowhere and ends up staying with us. She also happens to be a Bellator. And we happen to be missing a certain Bellator hero."

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "That seems like an awful lot of coincidences going on there."

"No, it's perfect!" Gilbert insisted.

Arthur shook his head. "I doubt it's Lili. She didn't seem to be looking for a leader like you guys were; you know, like we were discussing before."

Gilbert thought it over. "But we only went looking for you because we were sent dreams by the goddesses," he muttered to himself.

"I don't think Lili got a dream like that," Francis guessed. "But neither did Ludwig, _oui?_ "

"Hang on, something's coming back," Gilbert interrupted. He held up his hand, scrunching his eyes closed in thought.

He stayed like that for a good minute or so. Ludwig sighed. " _Bruder,_ I don't think-"

" _Shh!_ " Gilbert hissed. "I got it!"

"Got what, dare I ask?" Ludwig said, a little miffed at being shushed.

The albino Fortis grinned. "I remembered the dream the stupid goddess sent me. She mentioned a little detail that might catch your interest."

"Enough with the fake suspense. Out with it already!" Arthur demanded.

Gilbert shrugged. "If you insist. She said that they could only send _one_ dream message each."

"But the Fortis and Bellator goddesses both must recruit more than one person," Francis said in exasperation. "That is a terrible system."

"Whatever," Gilbert said, smirking. "That means my awesome theory must be correct!"

"Wait, how does having only one dream to send suddenly make your stupid theory make any sense?" asked Arthur.

"It's like this, Artie," Gilbert drawled, shooting Arthur a smug smile. "If Lizzie got the Bellator dream message, then how was the other Bellator going to find us? Why, by being led straight to us, of course!"

"Hold on," Arthur said skeptically. "You're saying that Lili's deer was told by the goddess to lead her into the forest, where we just happened to be?"

"That's exactly it! I knew you'd see it from my obviously correct point of view eventually."

"Don't get your hopes up," Ludwig said, frowning slightly. "She may not be part of the legend. We will have to make sure. We cannot force her into joining us."

"She's the one," Gilbert said confidently. "You'll see."

* * *

In the morning, they started packing up their hastily assembled campsite. Lili assisted with rolling up the bedrolls and packing them away.

"Alright," Lizzie announced when they were done. "I've decided that Lili is going to be travelling with us for a while."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. " _You've_ decided? Since when did you make her decisions for her? Besides, doesn't she have to go home?"

Lili shook her head. "My big brother is away for guard duty, and he hasn't been back for a while. He won't notice I'm gone."

"But do you know who we are?" Gilbert pressed, heroic grin on his face.

"Yes," Lizzie butted in. "I told her about it last night."

"I know the legend, and I'm honoured to be travelling with you," Lili said with a little bow.

Gilbert elbowed Lizzie. "Hey, you agree with me, right? She's totally the missing hero."

Lizzie glared at the Fortis. "It's not your decision to make. Her companion is lost, and she's in need of a group to travel with so that she isn't alone."

"No, no, I'm right, I know it!" Gilbert insisted. He sauntered up to Lili.

"You know the legend, you say?" he asked. Lili nodded earnestly.

"Well, you know there's supposed to be two Bellators, but we only have one, right?" he continued.

Lili tilted her head. "We could go back to my village. Your last hero may be there."

"Kesesesese!" Gilbert laughed. "No need to. It's you!"

Lili's eyes widened in shock. "Me?"

Arthur had had enough. He pushed Gilbert out of the way. "Look, Lili," he said, glaring at the Fortis. "We don't know who the last hero is, but Gilbert here seems to think that your companion leading you here is a sign that you're the Bellator that we needed to find."

Lili blinked. "Melody said to me that she was bringing me to my destiny. And maybe something about a goddess? Does that make sense?"

"Well, I-" Arthur spluttered, while Gilbert let out a cry of triumph.

Francis shrugged. "That is good enough for me. Welcome to the team." He extended his hand.

Lili shook it firmly. "So, I will travel to the temples with you now?"

"Yup!" Lizzie said brightly. "We're on out way to the Bellator temple, actually, so it's really good that we found you!"

Lili smiled nervously. "The Bellator temple?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"My brother is one of the guards. If he sees me travelling with you instead of at home, he... Well, he's a very overprotective brother," Lili admitted.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Gilbert said dismissively. "For now, let's take our first step as a full team of champions of the Goddesses!"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Enough of your theatrics. Let's go."

They all started walking away, leaving Gilbert with his foot raised dramatically. "Aww, come on, guys! Don't leave me hanging!" he protested.

"Hurry up!" was the response he got.

"Killjoys," Gilbert grumbled, following them reluctantly.

* * *

They trekked through the forest for a bit more until they finally broke their way through the last of the foliage. Lili recognized the place as the field bordering her village. Now that she knew where they were, she offered to lead them to a place where they could rest.

"There's a little alcove over there," she said, pointing to what looked like a cliff face. "I discovered it once while exploring, but it's rather hard to find, and I doubt anyone else knows about it."

"Good idea," Ludwig said, nodding. "After our past experiences, I think we should stay away from populated areas unless absolutely necessary. This won't take us too out of our way. Let's go."

They followed Lili through the field, Francis complaining about the dandelion seeds ruining his clothes, and everyone else snapping at him to shut up.

The sun was setting as they reached their destination.

As they all settled down inside, Ludwig grimaced. "We've lost another day. How close are we to the temple, again?"

"It's just past the village there," Lili explained. "It will take longer to get to if we skirt the village borders."

"That time will be cut in half if we just go through the village proper…" Lizzie mused. "Should we avoid it? Before, you said we could stop there to rest."

"Yes, but it's a bit different now. If someone spots Lili we might get into trouble," Ludwig said. "I don't want that to happen. We don't need a repeat of what happened in the Fortis city."

Everyone looked down uncomfortably. Lili tilted her head, confused. "What happened in Fortis City?" she asked.

"We got accosted by a gang," Arthur muttered. "They wanted to rob us, but we didn't have anything, and managed to divert their interest."

"Wow," Lili said, eyes wide. "Were you scared?"

Arthur glanced at Francis. "More like angry," he said softly. Francis broke his gaze, looking away.

"Anyway!" Gilbert shouted, startling everyone and effectively breaking the gloomy mood that had settled in the alcove. "What's our final verdict?"

"I think we should go through," Lili offered shyly. "I've already caused you enough delay. I don't want to be a burden and hold you back."

"It's no trouble, dear," Lizzie said warmly. "But in any case, I agree, we should go through the village. It's not a big city, so I doubt there are any gangs."

"Oh, no!" Lili shook her head earnestly. "It's quite small, really. Everyone knows each other, and there aren't any hostile groups that I know of."

"It's settled, then," Ludwig said, stashing the map away. "We leave in the morning."

* * *

As, one by one, they nodded off, Francis lay awake, contemplating his past decisions. He hadn't known that Arthur _still_ resented him over the little incident with the Nordic Five, even after the talk they had, explaining his behaviour. He remembered how everyone had acted distant around him after that, even after he had told Arthur the reason. _That was also the time I told Arthur about the_ ombra _bite,_ he realized. He glared at his arm, still bandaged, yet so forgettable that he almost forgot it was there himself. _Stupid shadow monsters. It was because of them that everyone stopped liking me. Everyone except...well, Matthew._

Francis gave up trying to sleep and sat upright, leaning against the rock wall. He thought about Matthew for what seemed the hundredth time. How the elusive, mysterious lynx had told him that they could find their animal companions again. He hadn't told anyone else about how the lynx had promised that if he lead them somewhere, they would be reunited. Then, he realized that Matthew had not even told him where to go. Not to mention he had yet to know why as soon as anyone joined their party, their animal companion almost immediately went missing.

 _That has to mean that I'll see him again, in another dream._ Francis felt a strange apprehension, even though the lynx had been nothing but kind to him, letting him spill out all his troubles with nary a complaint. He closed his eyes and sighed. He would trust Matthew and bring his friends to their missing companions. No one could say they hated him after that.

* * *

In the morning, Ludwig awoke early and scouted the area around the cliff face. As the others emerged into the soft morning sunlight, blinking sleepily, he shook his head. "There are no salvageable supplies here. We'll have to buy some in the village and risk even more contact."

Gilbert yawned. "Stop being such a worrywart, West! It'll be fine!"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "What you call worrying, I call being aware of all situations that could happen."

"That's just a really long way to say worrying," Gilbert said dismissively, shouldering his backpack. "Oi!" he shouted into the cave. "Get your lazy butts out here! West said we leave in the morning, and that doesn't mean we wait for everyone to wake up! It means now!"

"Keep your hair on," Arthur complained, dragging his own bag out of the space. "We can't all get up at inhumane hours of the morning like you two."

Lizzie and Lili also emerged, shouldering their packs.

"Let's get going," Ludwig said irritably.

"Where's the frog?" Arthur asked idly.

"I'm coming," Francis yawned, brushing out his hair as he exited. He absentmindedly followed the others as they began to walk toward the village, still pondering when Matthew would tell him where to go.

 _Enough about Matthew,_ he told himself firmly. _Focus on the journey at hand._

The walk wasn't a long one. Soon enough, they had reached the gates of Lili's hometown. A few people could be seen going about their early morning business, but for the most part, it was quiet.

"It's like this for most of the day," Lili said. "We don't have a very big population. That's why it was an honour for my brother to be chosen as a guard for the sacred temple. Our village hasn't had much to be proud of, except for that."

"Then hopefully it should be easy to get in and out?" Ludwig asked, glancing around him.

"You said we could rest here for a bit," Gilbert whined.

Ludwig grimaced. "I suppose we do have to stock up on supplies... Fine. You may take a break and look around. But for heaven's sake, don't tell anyone who we are."

"Gotcha, West," Gilbert acknowledged, and immediately broke off from the group to go look at a small vegetable store. Francis followed him to make sure he kept out of trouble.

Arthur separated from Ludwig, Lili, and Lizzie to visit a shop that had a picture of a cat on the outside. Curious, he pushed his way in, only to be greeted with the meowing of several small, fuzzy kittens. His heart melted as one rubbed against his leg, purring loudly.

As he bent down to pet it, a voice said, "That one is named Jacob. He likes to be scratched behind the ears."

Arthur looked up, surprised. A man with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes was sitting at a desk, surrounded by several more cats. He was leaning his arms on a pillow, and looked as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, petting more kittens as they crowded around him, vying for his attention.

"My name is Heracles," the man said, yawning widely afterwords. "And...and I'm supposed to sell these kittens. But I don't really want to let them go...you know?"

Arthur almost smiled. "I understand. They're quite cute."

Heracles nodded absentmindedly. "Hmm... Are you here to buy one, or some other reason?"

"Nope. Just here to check out your store," Arthur said, shrugging.

Heracles stared at him for what felt like a full minute. Arthur began to feel uncomfortable. Finally, the man spoke. "You know, everything has a reason. Even if you don't think it at the time."

Arthur slowly stood up. "O-okay," he stammered. He was increasingly getting the feeling that he should leave.

As he took a few backwards steps toward the door, Heracles spoke up again, still not taking his eyes off of Arthur. "You are the scion of heroes."

It wasn't a question. Arthur could do nothing but wait for him to continue.

"You are destined for something great. But...I guess you've heard that a lot, huh?" Heracles smiled sleepily and yawned again, breaking the tense moment.

"How did you-"

"Who knows?" Heracles interrupted. "Maybe we'll even meet again. But for now, you should go. Watch out for the Docte."

"Wait, what?" Arthur asked, but the kittens were all seemingly pushing him out the door. He stumbled outside, and the door swung shut behind him.

Thoroughly weirded out by that experience, Arthur decided to see if he could find any of the others. Luckily, he spotted Gilbert running through the street, laughing wildly, with Francis chasing after him. Hurrying to catch up with them, he tried to match Francis' stride.

"See anything interesting?" Francis asked him as they ran.

"Not really," Arthur lied.

Francis frowned. "You look shaken up. Did something happen?"

"I'm fine!" Arthur insisted. But still, one thing Heracles had said stuck in his mind. _Watch out for the Docte._

* * *

In a couple hours, once everyone had regrouped in the centre of the town, Ludwig went over the supplies they had collected.

"Unfortunately, we lost more time by spending leisure time here," he said, checking the map for the utmost time.

"Lighten up!" Gilbert laughed. "It was _fun._ We can still have that, right?"

Lizzie scowled. "Yeah, well, when you were having your fun running through the streets like a maniac and terrorizing the poor villagers, I was stuck with Mister Strict here, shopping for supplies!"

Before Gilbert could retaliate, Ludwig put up a hand. "Enough. We are leaving now, before the sun reaches the highest point. With my luck, you will all be complaining about the heat if we wait much longer."

"I can show you the best exit," Lili said, directing them to the northeast gate. As everyone filed out, she turned around and said goodbye to her quaint little town. At last, she was experiencing an adventure. She just wished Melody was here to enjoy it with her.

"Arthur," she whispered, tugging on his sleeve. When he turned around to face her, raising an eyebrow, she continued, "Are we going to get our friends back?"

"Hmm? You mean your companion?" At her nod, he shrugged. "I really hope so. But we can't lose sight of the most important goal."

"I guess." She fell silent. Her mind turned to the Bellator temple. _Oh please, big brother, don't make a fuss,_ she willed silently. _You can't always be there to protect me. I owe my life to you, but I can go out on my own, too..._

They kept walking. The sun climbed in the sky, beating down on them. The forests and grassland had long given way to the dry, dusty landscape of the Bellator territory.

"West-" Gilbert began to complain, but Ludwig shushed him harshly.

"I don't want to hear it," he growled, passing his brother a water bottle.

The mood was overall irritable, and there wasn't much talking.

Finally, _finally,_ the sun began to sink below the horizon. The air cooled down to an acceptable temperature, and the sky became sprinkled with stars.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Francis sighed as he gazed up at the celestial patterns.

"Very. Now help set up."

* * *

That night, it was eerily silent. The desert betrayed no sound but the gentle swishing of wind over the sand. Lizzie and Gilbert spent a while talking in low voices while on watch, but even that eventually petered out.

Arthur was trying to sleep, but his mind kept wandering to the strange shopkeeper and his warning. But that was silly- he already knew he could trust Francis. Right? To stop thinking of it, he decided to talk to Lili, who he could see was sitting on a rock, staring up at the sky.

"How're you doing?" he asked, sitting next to her. She jolted, surprised out of her thoughts.

"I-I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine. Do you missing someone?"

"I suppose I miss my big brother," she admitted. "He's been away guarding the temple for a long time. He visits me every so often, but it's not enough..."

Arthur sighed. "Hopefully when we see him at the temple you can say a proper goodbye."

"Yeah..." Suddenly Lili's eyes went wide. "Oh no!"

"What?! What is it?"

"I just remembered his next visit was supposed to be tomorrow! If I'm not there he's going to be very worried and upset!"

"Will we make it to the temple in time?" Arthur asked sharply.

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's two days from here, tops. My brother gets special transportation that makes him able to get here very quickly, so he'll be at the temple when we get there."

"This isn't going to go well, is it?"

"I'm afraid not."

Arthur frowned. "I'm actually kind of worried about the Bellator temple. With this added on, I don't know how we'll be able to even pass it..."

"How come?" asked Lili. "Why are you worried?"

Arthur bit his lip. "Well, at the last temple, the goddess made Gilbert and Ludwig do a bunch of crazy things. We met some new friends, but then one of those friends and I nearly died, and the goddess didn't really seem to care. She said that her sister was telling her to make it death-defying, however."

"And that sister was the Bellator goddess?" Lili guessed.

Arthur nodded grimly. "I don't even want to imagine what she has in store for you and Lizzie."

Lili wrapped her arms around her knees. "We'll just have to press on," she murmured.

"Mm," Arthur agreed. "Well, we should both get some sleep. Goodnight, Lili."

"Goodnight, Arthur," Lili whispered.

* * *

The next day went much like the last. They endlessly trudged through the desert, getting stuck in sand, stepping on various spiny plants, and avoiding possibly venomous insects. There was a particularly harrowing incident where Gilbert thought he had been bitten by a scorpion, and subsequently spent the next minutes freaking out and reciting his will, until it was discovered that there was a just bit of a spiky plant stuck in his shoe, which had caused the pinch. He was quite embarrassed and sullen the rest of the day.

Finally, day once again turned into night, and they made camp. One more day, and the temple would be upon them. Everyone was kept up by bad dreams that night.

The morning was quiet. Everyone knew what was coming. The only thing left to do was to keep walking.

* * *

Vash surveyed the horizon worriedly. Once again, his friend, Feliks, gave a loud sigh.

"What?" Vash asked sharply.

"You're, like, _so_ boring," Feliks complained. "I totally hate sitting here all day, every day with you."

Vash winced at his friend's bluntness. "Believe me, I didn't ask for this job either."

"Why are you so anxious?" Feliks asked lazily. "Like, nothing ever happens at the Bellator temple."

"It's nothing to do with the legend," Vash revealed. "It's just...when I went home last to visit my little sister, she was gone! I tried to get permission to take a few days off from this job to look for her, but the elders forbid it!"

"You mean the little sister you're totally overprotective of?" Feliks smirked. "I'm sure she was just at the market or something that day."

"No!" Vash insisted. "I asked around, but no one had seen her for a few days, except for some fleeting glances. And they weren't even sure it was her!"

Feliks rolled his eyes. "You're such a worrywart."

"If you had siblings, you'd understand!" Vash snapped.

Feliks waved his hand in a carefree way. "I don't need siblings to know that you're being way uncool."

"She _needs_ me," Vash half-whispered.

Feliks patted his head sympathetically. "Or do _you_ need _her?_ "

"Never mind," Vash said flatly, trying to change the subject. "Let's just concentrate on our completely useless job of guarding the deserted Bellator temple."

Feliks sat up, shading his eyes. "Like, think again, Vash!" he exclaimed. "There are people coming!"

Vash studied the newcomers from afar. They were still too far away to make out many details, but he could see that there were six of them, and they were most likely all teenagers. Vash noticed that one member of the group was shorter than the rest. She looked...familiar?

"Like, this might be crazy," Feliks started slowly, "but does that shorter one look like-"

"It's Lili!" Vash cried. "I'm sure of it!"

"What is she doing with those weirdos?" Feliks asked, trying to get a better look at them.

"I don't know," Vash said grimly. "I guess we'd better do our job and find out."


	14. Bellator Temple

_I'm so sorry for the, once again, two month wait! Please take this chapter as an apology ;w; I don't own Hetalia._

* * *

Lili stopped short as the magnificent sight of the Bellator temple rose above them. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She kept walking, taking on a determined gait.

As they got closer and closer, they were able to make out two figures, standing on guard in front.

"Is that your-" Gilbert started to ask, but was interrupted swiftly.

"Yes, it's my big brother," Lili said quickly. "Please, let me go first to talk to him."

She looked back at Arthur, who shrugged and gestured to go ahead.

As she climbed up the final incline and he came into view, she smiled brightly. "Hello, big brother!" she chirped.

"Lili!" Vash cried, and dropped down to hug her. He then seemed to remember himself and stood up straight quickly, looking a little red in the face. "Funny seeing you here," he said stiffly.

Feliks chuckled. "He was, like, _so_ worried about you!" he told Lili slyly. "He wants to know why you were gone."

Vash clenched his jaw. "I simply wanted to know why you left the village without permission or surveillance."

Lili sighed, fiddling with the ribbon in her hair. "Big brother, I-I think I'm allowed to go out on my own. I'm fourteen now. You started this job when you were fifteen, and-"

"That's not the same," he cut her off. "This job is an honour that the elders have bestowed upon a person from our village. _You_ have no reason to leave."

Gilbert, who was listening to the conversation with a displeased frown, opened his mouth to interrupt. "Actually, your little sister here is very special."

Vash looked up at him with barely masked disgust. "And who are you? Why is my sister travelling with strangers?"

Lili held up her hand. "Please, Gilbert, give me a moment with my brother." She faced her brother and hugged him tightly.

Vash held her tenderly. "I missed you," he muttered.

"I missed you too," she whispered, a few tears escaping her eyes. "You're always here guarding the temple. It gets lonely, living by myself."

Vash closed his eyes and sighed. "I wish I could visit more often, Lili, but this job...it's not something I can just leave."

Lili nodded, stepping back and wiping her eyes discreetly. "Big brother, I _do_ have a reason I left."

"Oh?" he asked bemusedly. "Why?"

She was silent for a moment. Finally she mustered up her courage. "I'm part of the legend, too."

"What do you mean? Part of the legend? I-"

Vash was cut off as Arthur walked up, staring intently at him. "Mister Vash. I'm afraid I'll have to explain this part. Since you have this particular job, you are familiar with the legend of the Goddesses, yes?"

Vash nodded suspiciously, unconsciously moving back a few steps.

"Well, your purpose of sitting here all day, every day has been fulfilled. We are the heroes of the legend, and that includes your sister. We need your help to reach the Bellator Goddess here, and quickly."

Vash bit his lip. He glanced back at Feliks, who narrowed his eyes in curiosity. He connected eyes with Lili for a split second- hers were filled with a quiet confidence. He reluctantly met Arthur's gaze again. He didn't know what to say. Lili was a champion of the Bellator Goddess?

"I'll assume from your silence that you don't object?" Arthur asked, his tone almost challenging.

Vash swallowed his pride and bowed slightly, scowling the whole time. "It's an honour to meet you, champions. Please follow me and Feliks to the inside of the temple."

Lili broke into a wide grin. "Oh, big brother, I knew you'd understand!"

He shot her a small, pained smile, and turned around, his forehead creasing in worry.

Francis waltzed forward. "Bonjour!" he said happily. He took Feliks' hand and shook it enthusiastically. "As everyone here seems to be down about something, I will introduce us. The two over there are Gilbert and Ludwig," he started, indicating them. "This is Elizabeta, Arthur, and I'm Francis. And of course you already know Lili."

"Yeah, great to meet you and all that," Feliks drawled. "Why don't you, like, come in? We can make you something to eat and then show you to the ballroom."

"Ballroom?" Arthur asked apprehensively.

Feliks laughed. "You'll see."

The six followed the guards inside. Vash kept to himself, muttering under his breath. Feliks pointed out every interesting feature with a short, ridiculous story to match.

"And that's where Vash once-"

"I think they've heard enough, Feliks," Vash interrupted suddenly. "Help me get a suitable meal together for them instead of chatting the whole time."

"Aw, but the food you buy is so boring," Feliks complained. "It's like you go to the market and buy the cheapest stuff you can find, or something."

Vash coughed, embarrassed "It saves money."

Francis laughed airily. "If it's food you need help with, I am the one to ask! I will help you out."

Feliks shrugged. "Sure, whatever. You can, like, take my place. I'll show the others around some more."

He beckoned Arthur, Lizzie, Gilbert, Ludwig, and Lili over and led them down a hallway, the walls draped with crimson carpet.

* * *

Vash busied himself with starting a fire in the fireplace. He had been hoping to prepare lunch alone to have some time with his thoughts. But it looked like he was stuck with this annoying guy.

"Do you need help with that?"

Speaking of which.

"No," Vash said shortly. "Go find some food to make. I'll take care of this."

Francis shrugged and searched for wherever the food was stored. "Okay. Do you have any preferences?"

"You're the guest, you know," Vash reminded irritably. "Just pull anything out and I'll work with it."

Francis shrugged. "As you wish." He opened a small box and glanced at the contents, wrinkling his nose. " _Mon dieu,_ Feliks wasn't kidding when he said this is cheap! What are you saving up for?"

Vash flushed. "Nothing really, I guess. I'm just being careful."

Francis threw a can aside, rummaging in the box. "Surely you can splurge just a little? Treat yourself sometimes?"

"Shut up," Vash scowled. "I'll do whatever I want with my money."

There was an awkward pause.

"So, how do you feel about Lili being part of my group?" Francis asked, trying to salvage the conversation.

The guard grimaced. "Honestly, I don't like it," he admitted, throwing caution to the wind and deciding to confide to Francis. "She could be in great danger by tagging along with you guys. But," he added as an afterthought, "I don't want to dissuade Lili from making a name for herself. I just want to stay neutral on this decision. It's Lili's to make, after all."

"Wise words," Francis hummed, stretching up and inspecting a box he had grabbed. "How is living here, anyway? I never really got to ask the Fortis guards."

Vash sighed. "It can get lonely, sometimes, I guess. I only have Feliks for company, and he's a damn pain in the ass sometimes."

"I can imagine," Francis chuckled.

Vash gave a small smile. "Though it's kind of cool being part of something bigger. When I was a little kid, I was really impressed by the legend. So, years later, when the elders chose me for this job, it felt more like a blessing than a curse." He hung a shallow pan over the fire as he spoke.

"Makes sense," Francis agreed, tossing away an expired packet. "But, what happened to your parents? Why are you raising Lili alone?"

Vash narrowed his eyes, realising he was opening up a bit too much. "None of your business."

Francis, sensing the overstepping of boundaries, sighed. "Never mind. Anyway, this is the only decent thing I found in here." He waved a can of chicken soup in the air.

"Seriously?" Vash asked, holding back a laugh.

"It's your food, _mon ami._ We must make do with what we have." Francis handed the can to Vash, who grabbed a knife and cut off the top. He dumped it in the now boiling water he had placed in the pan and stirred it.

Francis watched, a smile twitching at his lips. "You're not going to add spices?"

"Does it look like I have spices?" Vash retorted, stirring more fiercely.

Francis grabbed the ladle, tutting. "You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to stir slowly and in a counterclockwise motion, changing direction every minute."

Vash let go of the handle and threw up his hands. "I give up! You're infuriating."

Francis smiled and took over the pan. "True. Now please look for some spices so this isn't any blander than it has to be."

Vash stormed over to the box Francis had been sifting through earlier. He dug to the bottom and began to lift bottles out to check the labels.

"Will you talk to me now?" Francis asked. "About your family?"

"Nothing has changed, idiot," Vash huffed. "Why should I?"

"That's how you make friends, _non?_ " Francis raised an eyebrow. "I'm just getting to know you better. And if Lili is going to be part of the team, it would help to know this, too."

Vash shrugged. He couldn't argue with that. "Fine...I guess I'll tell you," he said, his tone subdued, still shifting bottles.

* * *

Feliks pointed to a stained-glass window with an obvious crack in it. "That happened when Vash threw a rock at me and I dodged. He was, like, _really_ mad at me after that."

"But he was the one who threw it!" Gilbert protested.

"I know, right? Like, totally unfair," Feliks agreed.

Arthur groaned, running a hand down his face. This had been going on for quite some time now; Feliks pointing out a flaw with a story to match, and Gilbert and Lizzie adding comments. Honestly, he just wanted to get the meeting with the damned Goddess over with and be back on his way soon.

"And that's where I broke a statue of a Goddess and Vash was sure that I'd be cursed with a terrible disease or something."

 _Cue Gilbert,_ Arthur thought.

"That's stupid. They wouldn't waste their time with clumsy mortals. They'd curse me for being too awesome, if they threw around curses like that."

 _And cue Lizzie._

"I bet if I broke a whole bunch of these statues, Lady Proelium would come faster."

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. And onto the next one.

"Like, this was when-"

"Okay," Arthur interrupted. "I think the grand tour has gone on long enough. Can we go back to Francis and Vash, now?"

Ludwig gave a barely noticeable sigh of relief.

Feliks looked annoyed. "Hold your horses, broski. We're going around; like, both of the openings of this hallway lead to the dining hall."

Arthur scowled and Lili stifled a giggle. Ludwig looked stoic as ever, but even he was starting to get exasperated.

* * *

"My parents were peaceful farmers," Vash began, leaning his elbow against the edge of the box. "I helped them out when Lili was born, and then when she was old enough, we cared for the wheat fields together." He fished out a small bottle with green flecks of spice inside.

Francis made a small noise of encouragement, accepting the bottle passed to him.

Vash sighed. "It was a quiet life, but we were okay with that. We didn't think anything would happen to us."

Francis looked down, biting his lip.

"You can probably guess what happened next," Vash muttered. "Our parents were recruited for an expedition to the mountains up north. They never came back."

"Oh, _mon ami,_ I am-"

"Save it," Vash interrupted. "I don't need sympathy or pity. I lived alone with Lili for long enough to get over it. Then this job comes along, and she's alone again. You understand why I am reluctant to let her go?"

Francis nodded, stirring again. "I understand, yes."

"So there you go. Happy?" Vash slammed the lid of the box shut. "You had your 'get to know each other' fun. Now will you leave me alone?"

Francis smiled. "Thank you for telling me this. I think that we, as humans, should share our troubles, and not keep to ourselves, lest we become reclusive."

Vash rolled his eyes. "What a load of bull. Are you almost done?"

Francis sighed. "Almost."

* * *

Feliks opened a huge set of double doors with some difficulty. "This is the ballroom," he pointed out once it was open. "Here's where will come for the ceremony, or whatever."

Arthur looked with awe at the simply massive room. It had a big, open floor area, and the walls were adorned with impressive paintings of historical battles.

"Nice place," Lizzie commented. "Though I hate to see what Proelium will try to make us do here." A look of horror flashed across her face. "You don't think she's going to make us _dance_ , do you?!"

"I doubt it," Ludwig said dryly. "Although we can pretty much expect anything at this point, she doesn't seem the kind of person to have that as a trial."

"You never know," Lizzie said darkly. "She's messed up in the head, that one."

Gilbert smirked. "What, you can't handle a little dancing? Come on!"

"I'd like to see _you_ try," Lizzie retorted scathingly.

"Okay, that's enough," Arthur interrupted what was sure to become another full fledged argument. "We've seen the ballroom, Feliks; please bring us back to Vash and Francis."

"Fine," Feliks huffed. "It's this way."

They all exited out the giant doorway and back into the hallway. True to what Feliks said earlier, the hallway looped around back to the room they had entered from.

They walked in to see Vash and Francis sitting on opposite sides of a medium sized table, pointedly looking anywhere but each other. A large pan was steaming in the middle.

"Big brother!" Lili called. Vash glanced up and brightened.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here," he said, relieved. "The meal's ready."

Lizzie inspected the food. "This is chicken soup," she observed dryly.

Francis grimaced. "Yes, but it was the best they had. Eat it and be glad you are getting a meal at all."

Feliks cracked up at this for some reason, and the others all crowded around the table.

Francis ladled soup into eight separate bowls. "Enjoy!" he announced with a smile.

Arthur picked up his spoon and stirred his soup. "So, what's our plan of attack, so to speak?"

Ludwig took a careful sip. "Well, we're making good time. When we've finished here, assuming nothing unexpected happens-"

"Which it probably will," Lizzie added.

"Then we can head back through Fortis territory to get to the Docte temple," Ludwig finished. "Though it may take longer than anticipated; it's quite a ways away."

"We can make it!" Gilbert laughed, neglecting to use a spoon and just drinking from the bowl. "We're a full team now. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Everything, now that you've said that again," Ludwig said, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, West," Gilbert pouted. "I'm sure it'll be fine. What do you think, Vashy?"

Vash flinched. Lili stifled a giggle.

After several seconds of silence, save for the clinking of spoons, Francis once again tried to make conversation. "How's the soup, Vash?" he asked. "I managed to make your measly food very good, if I do say so myself."

Vash gritted his teeth. "I think...it tastes like soup."

Gilbert burst out laughing at the dumbfounded look on Francis' face. Even Arthur cracked a smile.

"I see how it is, then," Francis said, affronted. "You can continue to feed yourself with your meagre cooking and see if I care!"

Lili giggled. "Oh, he likes it. He's just embarrassed to say so."

Vash scowled. "It's fine, okay? Leave me alone."

"If you say so," Francis muttered.

"So, Feliks, when are we going to meet the Goddess?" Ludwig asked, changing the subject.

"Probably in the morning," Feliks guessed. "There's enough rooms here for, like, a million people, so you'll all fit."

"Oh, and can we borrow some clothes?" Francis added. "Ours are desperately in need of replacing."

"No problem," Feliks chuckled. "We have plenty here, so, like, help yourselves. We can all meet in the ballroom in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," Lizzie agreed. "I just hope she isn't _too_ psychotic."

With that ominous sentence, the table descended into a sullen silence.

* * *

After the meal, everyone chose a room. Vash had disappeared somewhere shortly after, and Feliks had crashed in his own room. That left the six to talk among themselves before turning in for the night.

"What do you think of the Bellator temple?" Arthur asked Lizzie.

"It's okay," she shrugged. "A little fancy for my liking."

Looking around, Arthur had to agree. There were statues, paintings, and gaudy decorations _everywhere_.

"I think it's pretty tacky," Gilbert broke in. "And I have to say, Feli and Lovi were better at hosting than these two." Glancing at Lili, he added, "No offense or anything."

"Who are Feli and Lovi?" she asked politely.

"The guards at the Fortis temple," Arthur explained. "We had a rather...exuberant time. All because someone couldn't help but bring out alcohol."

Ignoring the pointed glare directed at him, Gilbert laughed. "Yeah, well, that's what made it awesome."

"Not when I woke up with a hangover and subsequently got kidnapped, shoved in an airtight box, and nearly died," Arthur muttered scathingly.

Lili's eyes widened. "Is that what happened there?"

Ludwig inclined his head, sighing. "All thanks to Lady Proelium. You can see why we are worried, now, yes?"

Lili nodded slowly. "I-I'm sure it'll go fine," she stuttered.

"Well," Francis said, stretching. "If we are to be ready for whatever she has in store for us, I think a good sleep is in order. I advise we do that now and worry about it in the morning."

"How about not worrying at all?" Lizzie offered. "I could kick her ass, probably. We have nothing to worry about."

"As long as there are no glass boxes, I don't care," Arthur mumbled. "If you lot are going to bed, I guess I will too. Goodnight." He stood up, drawing his cloak around his shoulders, headed to his room, and slammed the door.

"What's wrong with him?" Gilbert remarked, standing up and stretching.

"He's worried about another incident like in the Fortis temple happening," Francis mused. "That really took its toll on him."

Gilbert scowled. "That will never happen again. I swear my life on it."

"We will see," Francis sighed. "Goodnight, my friends."

Ludwig frowned and turned away, going to his own room silently. Lizzie departed as well, walking next to Lili, speaking softly with her.

Gilbert leaned on the back of an armchair. "What do you really think will happen?" he asked Francis quietly.

Francis shook his head. "I am expecting the worst, Gilbert. Two people almost died in the Fortis temple. I do not wish for a repeat of that."

Gilbert ran his hand down his face. "I don't _get_ it. We're the good guys! The Goddesses are supposed to be helping us! Why are we waiting in fear?!"

"The world is a messed up place," Francis murmured. "Surely you know that."

Gilbert stood up straight. "Yeah, I do. I'm going to hit the hay as well, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

They parted and went to their separate rooms.

* * *

Once again, Francis woke up in a plain field. Without even having to think about it, he knew he was where Matthew always appeared. He looked around, trying to catch sight of the lynx. Nothing happened for quite some time. A steady wind blew through, ruffling his hair, and he decided to pick a direction and walk for a bit. It beat waiting, anyway.

He glanced at his surroundings as he walked. The grass was a duller shade of green than usual. The sky was overcast, the clouds hanging low. Overall, the whole world was kind of hazy. Francis shoved his hands in the pockets of his grey sweater he had borrowed from Vash. Funny how dreams worked, putting him in a weird world just as he had been in the real world.

Slightly bored, he sat down on a rock nearby and plucked at the grass. It was unhealthy, practically dying in his hands. He frowned. Something wasn't right.

"Matthew?" Francis called, his voice barely audible over the wind, which now seemed to be picking up. He jumped to his feet and spun around; were those footsteps? "Matthew!"

There was no answer. Yet Francis was sure that someone was close.

Suddenly, a snarling sound broke the eerie silence. It sounded less like an animal and more like a feral monster. Francis patted his hip, and sure enough, his cutlass was sheathed there on his belt. Ignoring how much this felt very real and not at all dream-like, he sprinted towards the sound.

The clouds seemed to touch the ground here, and the world was enveloped in grey. Francis pushed his way through the heavy fog, drawing his cutlass. The shrieks of the creature were muffled, but getting louder and closer. Finally, he waved away the last of the fog and came face-to-mask with an _ombra._

It was so unexpected, Francis couldn't move. He stood, staring paralysed, at the snarling monster.

"Francis?" a voice called in surprise. To his utter confusion, Matthew himself stood behind the _ombra_.

"Matthew?" Francis said hesitantly. "What are you doing there?"

Matthew flicked his tail. "I'm being attacked," he said calmly. "Please, defeat this beast to protect me."

Francis pointed his cutlass at the monster. "Gladly." His enhanced senses around _ombre_ certainly came in handy when fighting one, he observed. It was as if he could predict the next move it made, seconds before it had even started it.

He jabbed and slashed with his small sword. He was always one step ahead of the opponent, dodging and parrying constantly.

The _ombra_ reared its head and bellowed. It came down full force, slamming its arms onto the ground. Francis attempted to jump back, staggering at the shock wave. He fell to one knee.

The monster took the opportunity and aimed a devastating blow at his head. Desperately, Francis shoved his sword straight up in front of him. There was a sick gurgling sound, and promptly, the _ombra_ dissolved.

"Very good, Francis," Matthew purred. "You fought it like a pro."

Francis sheathed his cutlass with slightly trembling fingers. " _Merci,_ " he said hesitantly.

"Terribly sorry that I couldn't meet you at our usual spot," Matthew added. "I was held up here."

"But how was that _thing_ in my dream?" Francis asked, still staring at the spot he had nearly been decapitated.

Matthew bared his claws. "This place is not stable. Surrounding forces are always trying to break in. It takes all of my power to bring you here so that we can talk without interruption." He glanced at Francis, eyes glittering with a hidden emotion. "It is not so much a dream, but a shift between realms. Does that make sense?"

"No," Francis said bluntly.

Matthew grinned, sharp teeth showing. "It doesn't have to. As long as you can defend yourself, we can continue to come here. Now, you probably know what I wanted to talk to you about?"

"The location?" Francis guessed.

"Yes. You remember how I asked you to bring your friends somewhere after you are finished at the temple. I will now tell you that location." Matthew jumped up onto a rock next to Francis, and with a flick of his tail, conjured a map of Terra Deaeque in the air, painted in silvery lines. Ignoring Francis' gasp of wonderment, he highlighted the area where the Bellator temple was situated. "You are here. You will be heading back down here," he said, tracing a line to the forest bordering Bellator and Fortis territory, where they had found Lili. "You will be travelling to Docte territory to visit your temple. The place where your companions are being held is just a little out of your way." He drew a small circle in a little mountainous area near the border. "You shouldn't find it too hard to convince your friends to go there, even if they don't believe why."

Francis nodded slowly. "And you're sure our companions are there?"

Matthew stared at him seriously. "I am always sure."

"O-okay," Francis agreed nervously. Something about Matthew's eyes invoked a flash of fear every time he looked at the lynx.

"Good," Matthew said softly, and stood up, dispelling the map into little sparkles, which winked out. "I look forward to meeting you there. But Francis," he added. "Don't tell your friends about me. They may think you are making it up in some kind of desperate ploy. Do you understand?"

Francis' knuckles whitened on the hilt of his cutlass, which he was now clutching. "I understand."

Matthew hopped to the ground lightly, curling his tail. "Very good. Well, this is goodbye until then, Francis. Don't forget."

The world tilted crazily, throwing the Docte off-balance. It swirled around him, and all was black.

* * *

Francis jolted up, panting. Looking around him, it took a few seconds to get his bearings. The small room had a single window, which was illuminating the red-carpeted walls. Dust swirled in the beams of sunlight.

 _Of course,_ Francis thought. _The Bellator Temple._

He checked his hip, and sure enough, his weapon was sitting there. Ignoring the fact that that was quite a dangerous spot for it to be, he sighed heavily. So Matthew's world was real, and he was being transported there whenever the lynx felt like it. Great.

He got out of bed, stretching out the knot in his back. Neglecting to get a change of clothes, he left the room, still wearing the baggy grey hoodie. He guessed it was a few hours after sunrise, so he headed to the place where they had eaten before.

When he walked in the room, he was met with the sight of an empty table. He sighed. Typical of his friends to sleep in on the day they might die.

Scowling, he scraped back a chair and sat in it. So he was supposed to tell them to go off course into the mountains for a reason that _no one_ would believe. Like _that_ would happen without a fight.

Finally, he got fed up with stewing in his thoughts, so he dug through the box from before. Maybe he could do them all a good favour and have a decent breakfast waiting.

After finding a packet labelled "oatmeal", Francis followed the instructions on the packet to make it. Soon, the food was ready, and he was spooning it into several bowls to serve once everyone came to the table.

Several minutes later, Gilbert and Ludwig came walking into the room. Gilbert was talking a mile a minute, justifying why he had broken a statue, with Ludwig bandaging his hand exasperatedly.

"Oh, hey Francis!" Gilbert grinned, spotting the Docte lounging on a chair. "Check this out!" He waved his hand in the air excitedly.

"Stop that," Ludwig said sternly, pulling it back down. "I'm not done."

"Yeah, whatever," Gilbert said dismissively. "I was walking down the hallways, just kinda bored, and I saw a statue of Bonus," he explained to Francis. "'Course, I took that as the perfect moment to get some revenge. Smash!" He laughed. "But that made my hand bleed so West here decided to take care of me. Pretty awesome, huh?"

"Fascinating," Francis murmured. "I have some food ready if you'd like."

"Thanks, buddy," Gilbert said as he swung into a chair and dug in with gusto.

Ludwig sighed and took a seat beside him. "Thank you, Francis."

"It's no trouble," Francis smiled halfheartedly.

Eventually, the others filed in, all taking a seat at the table. The only one missing was Vash. No one commented on the absence.

* * *

"So! Is everyone ready?" Lizzie asked briskly. It was after breakfast, and everyone was gathered outside the ballroom.

"We didn't have this much debate last time," Arthur grumbled. "Just go in." He pushed open the heavy doors with a creak, letting them swing open.

"Wait for me!" a voice behind them called. Vash came around the corner, fixing something to his hip. He pulled his green jacket over it before anyone could see what it was.

"Nice of you to finally show up," Gilbert mocked.

"Whatever. Let's go," Vash said, rolling his eyes.

Lizzie led the way, Lili at her side. They filed in and stood in the centre of the room expectantly.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. No one dared to say anything.

Finally, a pillar of fire appeared at the ceiling with a small explosion. It descended dramatically, shooting off flames all over the room, barely missing the people in the middle. When it reached the floor, it dissipated, leaving the figure of a woman standing there.

She was very tall, and had a cruel beauty about her, accented by her eyes, which seemed to glow. Her hair, propped up in a ponytail, was a vibrant red, showing off her tan skin. She was wearing a simple black tee shirt and jeans.

"Hello, there!" she said, inspecting them all. "Welcome to my temple!"

Gilbert applauded sarcastically. "Bravo," he sneered. "I love the part where you burn everything."

Lizzie bit back a scathing comment of her own to add to Gilbert's, and crossed her arms over her chest in an X, bowing. Lili followed her example. The others all found themselves taking a step back, leaving the two Bellators to face their Goddess.

Proelium watched them with sharp eyes and a smirk. "Ah, yes, that old thing," she said, turning back to Lizzie and Lili. "I always hated that salute. So bland."

"Then let's cut the crap and get to the trial," Lizzie snapped, abandoning all pretenses of respect.

Proelium snickered. "Such spunk! I knew I was right to choose you. And you-" she leered at Lili- "are just as worthy. Oh, what shall the trial be? I'm getting shivers just thinking of all the danger you could face!" She pursed her lips. "Let's see, should I make a maze with death traps? Ooh, how about trial by fire? All sound so wonderful!"

Vash stormed forward, throwing his coat back and revealing the sword he had sheathed there. "You will do nothing of the sort to my sister!"

Proelium threw her head back and laughed. It was a harsh sound, full of untold malice. "Protective brother, are we?" she asked, grinning at Vash.

Vash tightened his grip around his sword. "I don't want a conflict," he growled, contrary to his body language.

Proelium shrugged. "Regardless to what you want, I'm afraid you don't really have a choice." She seemed to come to a realisation. "Oh! I know what to do!" She snapped her fingers as Bonus had done before, and Vash stiffened.

He turned towards them with a blank yet steely look in his eyes, raising his sword. "I'm going to save Lili," he said, deadly calm.

"Aaand _that_ came out of nowhere," Gilbert added unhelpfully.

"Like, get a grip on yourself, Vash," Feliks called worriedly. "You decided that it was okay, remember?"

Vash didn't blink. He levelled his sword at the group. "You took her from her home, her safe environment. You will pay."

"Hold on!" Ludwig protested, trying to stay rational. "We _saved_ her!She's fulfilling her part in the prophecy; I know she's young, but you can't keep her completely isolated from the world perpetually!"

Vash's eye twitched. He rubbed his forehead, scowling.

Proelium tapped him on the head. "Now, now, no resistance," she chided. "You want Lili back safe and sound, yes? Who's in the way of that?"

"Those five," Vash muttered.

"So what are you going to do about it?" the Goddess urged.

Vash's knuckles whitened around the hilt of his sword. "Strike them down where they stand and save my little sister."

"There we go." Proelium turned to the heroes. "Who will take up the challenge? Who is willing to fight for your last member?"

Lizzie bit her lip. "I don't want to fight Vash," she said regretfully. "This doesn't have to happen. But because these _selfish, conceited G_ oddesses keep blocking our path with ridiculous tasks, I suppose I must."

Vash pointed his sword at Lizzie. "I will fight you for my sister!" he shouted.

Lizzie drew her own weapon, glaring at the Goddess. "I will fight for what is right."

Proelium ushered the others away from the middle of the ballroom. When Gilbert tried to make a run for the two, she froze him in place with a snap. "This is the Bellator's business," she growled. "Stay out of it, if you know what's good for you."For good measure, she froze everyone else, too. Arthur was just immensely relieved that they weren't in an airtight cage this time.

Vash sprinted up to Lizzie, bringing his sword up to swing. She quickly blocked, the crashing of the blades resonating throughout the echoing room.

"Vash!" she said through gritted teeth, narrowing her eyes. "You know you don't want to do this!"

Vash raised an eyebrow in contempt. Without reply, he spun around and directed the sword at her midriff. She jumped out of the way and returned with a slash of her own, which he dodged.

They circled around each other, sizing up the opponent.

Lizzie grew impatient and leapt at him, clashing her sword against his. They both struggled for a second, fighting to gain the upper ground. Finally, Vash's blade slid off hers with a _shhk_ and he staggered, off balance. She took the opportunity to kick him powerfully, and he crashed to the ground, the sword clattering out of his hand.

She pointed the blade at his head. "Do you accept defeat?"

Proelium, who was still watching with bloodlust in her eyes, snorted. "Oh come on. He can do better than that." She snapped her fingers.

In the middle of the room, Vash's eyes flashed. He swept his legs under Lizzie's, causing her to trip backwards, and lunged for his sword. Grabbing it, he turned to face her.

She had already recovered, and stepped in with several strikes to the abdomen, some of which struck. Vash stumbled back, hand on his torn jacket. He lifted it, a striking red accenting his skin now visible.

Lizzie paled. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cut you!"

"Tsk, tsk, dear, we can't have you apologising for doing what you're supposed to!" Proelium called happily. "Finish him off if you can!"

Gilbert, frozen beside her, looked furious. He tried to shout, but to no avail.

Vash gripped his sword again with twice the vigour, smearing blood on the handle. With a yell of rage, he executed a series of slashes and stabs.

Lizzie attempted to block each one, but some slipped past her guard, painfully clipping her in the arm. Scowling, she tried to find an opening, and threw a small stab at Vash's exposed shoulder. To her surprise, she landed it cleanly.

Vash cried out in pain as she pulled out the sword. The tip was now stained with crimson.

Lizzie winced. She hated hurting him, but it was the stupid trial, and they had to pass, and-

"STOP!"

Lizzie whirled around in surprise at the commanding voice. Who-?

Her eyes widened as she realised a millisecond too late. She had turned her back to her opponent.

She dropped to her knees as Vash pulled his blade out from her back.

He coldly wiped off the blade as she collapsed to the ground.

"Big brother!" Lili, for it was she who had screamed before, cried in horror. "What have you done?"

Proelium doubled over laughing. "Oh, this is too rich! I love it!"

Arthur felt like screaming himself. That was his _friend_ lying there, dying, and he couldn't move a muscle! He was sure everyone else felt the same. All they could rely on now was Lili.

 _Please,_ he thought. _Please don't let Lizzie die._

Vash embraced Lili. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "I saved you."

Tears running down her face, Lili shoved him away. "No! Don't you see, brother?! They're my friends! You just stabbed my friend!"

Vash looked confusedly at the small puddle of blood spreading around Lizzie's fallen form. "Friend..?"

Lili dropped to her knees in front of Lizzie. She tore some cloth off of her shirt and held it to the wound.

Vash seemed to be coming out of a stupor. "W-wait... What just-?"

"Come and press this to the wound," Lili snapped. "We don't have time for explanations. Hurry up!"

Vash worriedly sat beside her, keeping the cloth firmly pressed. "But what are you doing?"

"I'm going to reason with her," Lili grimaced, pointing at the still-laughing Proelium. She marched up to the Goddess.

Proelium wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, letting out a few more chuckles. She then noticed Lili staring at her defiantly. "What?"

"Don't you care?! Lizzie is one of your champions, and you're just letting her die?" Lili seethed. "You're the worst Goddess of all!"

Proelium arched an eyebrow. "Brave words, little miss, but I'm not convinced. What do you want me to do about it?"

Lili raised herself on her toes so that she was staring into her molten eyes. "Heal. Her. Now."

"And what if I don't?" The Goddess's tone was challenging.

Lili responded by bringing Lizzie's discarded sword up to Proelium's throat in a lightning-fast movement. "This," she said through gritted teeth.

Proelium looked surprised for a second. She then flashed a cocky smirk. "As if you could hurt me, little one. But I admire your spirit." She moved the tip of the blade away from her neck. "And that's what this trial was about, of course."

"So you'll heal her?" Lili asked hopefully.

Proelium shrugged languidly. "I could. I don't have to."

Lili scowled. She was done with this Goddess' stupid attitude. "You know what, Proelium? We don't need you. We don't ever need your help for anything. You're the epitome of laziness and bad judgement. In fact, I'd rather see just about anyone else in front of me right now, including the Shadow God _himself_. Get out of my sight."

Proelium gave her a thin lipped smile. "Taking that 'fighting spirit' a little too far there, tiger," she muttered.

"Lili!" Vash called desperately, attempting to staunch the new wave of blood. "If you're going to do something, do it _now!_ "

Lili rushed back to Lizzie's side. "She won't listen," she sniffed, wiping her face. "Big brother, is Lizzie going to-?"

"Oh for the love of me! Fine!" Proelium exclaimed in exasperation. "I'll heal your silly champion." Waving her hand over the limp body, she continued, "It's up to her if she survives or not, but she isn't in immediate danger anymore. After all, this is still a test of spirit."

Lili regarded her with disgust, tear tracks still visible on her face. "Of course."

Proelium drew herself up to her full height. "Since I'm obviously not wanted here, I'll finish us off," she said coldly. "I officially bless you with the Bellator spirit. May the rest of your journey not end in tragedy, and always remember that the fighting spirit of the entire Bellator clan is with you."

She snapped her fingers, unfreezing the others. With a sullen expression, she folded into herself, until she disappeared with a pop.

Everyone immediately rushed to Lizzie's side.

"Is she okay?" Gilbert demanded.

Vash looked up, grimacing. "Only time will tell, I'm afraid."

He picked her up, and they walked out of the ballroom.


	15. Off Again

_Wow, seems I am consistent with these way-too-long update times. Sorry again. Life, you know?_

* * *

Ouch.

That was the first thought that crossed Lizzie's mind.

The second was confusion. She felt as though a hot poker was jabbing her in the back, a constant ache. Her first reaction was to find out why.

She sat up from what felt like a bed, though she was in utter darkness, so she wasn't too sure. The movement made her groan in pain as her blood seemed to catch fire.

She patted her chest and found it wrapped tightly in bandages. It was only then that it came flashing back to her. Proelium; the trial; Vash. Of course.

As she was attempting to get out of the bed, the door to the room opened, letting in a sliver of light. Someone backed in, carrying a tray. They left the door wide open, spilling light into the room and revealing that it was Vash.

Seeing her up and half out of bed, he nearly dropped the tray, eyes widening. "You're awake!"

Lizzie opened her mouth, but all that came out was a hoarse cough. She felt like screaming when her wound ignited.

"No, no, don't try to speak," Vash said hastily. "Here." He crossed the room to the curtains, opening them to let in the sun's rays. He brought the tray to the side of her bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, handing her the bowl of soup placed upon it.

After a few sips, Lizzie felt as though she could breathe properly again. "Like shit," she managed.

Vash nodded, looking guilty. His hand seemed to instinctively go to clutch his shoulder, which Lizzie noticed was all wrapped up. "Listen, I'm really sorry about that. I couldn't control my body."

"I know," Lizzie sighed, taking another gulp. "It's that damn Goddess' fault. How's Lili?" Her voice was punctuated with coughs.

"She's fine," Vash nodded. "I wish you could have seen her after I...well, stabbed you. She took charge, threatened Lady Proelium, and saved you from death's door."

"I'm very proud of her," Lizzie smirked. "Her standing up to old Fighting Spirit must have been quite the sight."

"It was," Vash agreed, allowing himself a small smile before regaining his melancholic look. "Look, Lizzie, I'm _really_ sorry. I wish-"

"Vash," she interrupted. "I told you I understand, okay? You don't have to keep apologising for something you didn't do."

Vash hesitantly connected eyes with her, seeing her earnestness. "Okay, then..."

Lizzie let loose with another bout of coughing. Her shoulders sagged with a sudden onset of fatigue.

"You should rest a bit more," Vash said hastily. "You don't want to leave while you're injured, so best to recover quickly."

Lizzie opened her mouth to argue but seemed to give up halfway. "Fine," she said raggedly, relaxing herself into a more comfortable position.

Vash took the bowl away. "Someone will come to check on you later," he said gruffly. "Ah...see you, Lizzie."

She gave a sarcastic wave from the bed, immediately regretting it as he shut the door and her stab wound flared. She winced, but did not cry out. Proelium wanted fighting spirit? Well, Lizzie would give it to her. She vowed not to complain a word about her injury for the rest of the journey.

At least, that was the plan.

* * *

"Is she okay now?" Gilbert demanded as soon as Vash came back into the kitchen. "I heard voices."

They were all hunkered around the dining table, the victory in the temple a bit subdued as they awaited news on their friend.

"She's awake, at least," Vash reported, slumping into an empty chair.

Arthur scowled. "I hate this. I hate that we have to keep coming so near death in these temples, the places that are supposed to be safe havens. What a messed up world."

Francis lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Please do not think like that, Arthur."

Lili was still huddled in the corner of a small couch in the room adjacent to the kitchen. No one had been able to speak to her without being rejected so far.

"She blames herself," Francis whispered, glancing over at her crumpled form sadly. "She thinks that Lizzie wouldn't have been stabbed if she had not called out."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," Vash said vehemently. He marched up to Lili. "Sister, please listen. Lizzie is on her way to recovering. You have nothing to worry about. Where is that spirit I know you possess?"

Lili finally raised her tear-streaked face. "All I have done as part of this team so far is nearly get my teammate killed," she choked out. "Who would want someone like that to travel with?"

"Lili," Vash said firmly. "I know I was reluctant before, but I think this journey would be good for you." He breathed deeply. "Look. Lizzie would have certainly died if you hadn't gotten all up in Proelium's face. You _saved_ her life."

Lili took a shuddering breath. "Please, big brother, leave me alone for a while. I have to think."

Vash opened his mouth to object, but seemed to think better of it. He made his way back to the table, shaking his head.

"The only thing left to do is wait," Ludwig sighed. "We have to get back to our schedule as soon as Lizzie recovers."

Vash looked around at the red-carpeted walls with unmasked disgust. "And then Feliks and I can get out of this dump for good."

"What a relief," Feliks added. "This place is _so_ drab. It makes everything I wear look horrible!"

Francis observed the decor again with a wry grin. "Indeed; it does not seem to compliment anything, that is for sure."

"I'm going to bed," Arthur muttered, sliding out of his seat. "It's no use just sitting here."

"Arthur's right," Gilbert conceded, eyes heavy with concern. "Lizzie is resting. We should rest too."

Ludwig stood up behind Gilbert. "I recommend this as well. Get a good night's sleep, and we may be able to leave in the morning if Lizzie is feeling up to it."

Lili was still refusing to move. Vash went back over to her, after everyone else had left.  
"Lili?" he asked softly, sitting in front of her.

She didn't respond. He could tell she was still awake, as her body still occasionally hitched with a dry sob.

He rubbed her back soothingly. "Lili. Like I said, she's making a full recovery. And do you know what she told me? She said she was really proud of you for standing up to Proelium."

Lili was still unresponsive, but her breathing slowed a little.

"What you did was the bravest thing I've ever seen," Vash continued. "I have never, in my entire life, seen someone march up to a Goddess and threaten them at sword point to heal someone. Lili, _you_ did that. It was you who ensured that Lizzie would live; and in doing so, won the Bellator blessing. You have nothing to cry over. She'll made a full recovery. If anything, take this as a lesson to never turn you back on an opponent." He hesitated a second before offering his last bit of advice with an air of finality. "And never, _ever,_ trust a Goddess."

Soon enough they had both fallen asleep on the couch, Lili eventually reaching over to embrace her big brother.

* * *

Arthur woke up in a dark room, momentarily confused. As he sat there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, the past day rushed back to him and he sighed. _Hopefully we'll be able to get going today,_ he thought. _I hate being cooped up in these stupid temples._

He got up and dressed in a simple black t-shirt and some black pants that Feliks had thrown at him, gushing something about matching clothes. Honestly, Arthur didn't really care, as long as they were clean.

Exiting the room, he looked around and realised he was alone. It must have been quite early. He tread lightly across the padded carpet, keeping as silent as possible. He cherished the times he could be alone with his thoughts; waking someone up would defeat the purpose.

Making himself a kettle of the lacklustre tea that Vash had stashed away in the kitchen, he poured himself a cup and settled in a chair. Taking slow sips, he tried to clear his mind. There were two temples left. Francis was going to be alone when he took his trial, and so was Arthur. He hoped that the third sister wasn't a psycho as well - but he knew the Great Angel was nice, so he wasn't too worried about the Omnes temple.

Arthur hadn't realised how long he had been nursing the cups of tea until someone poked their head into the kitchen.

"Arthur?" Gilbert asked. "Can we talk?"

Arthur grunted conformation, gesturing to the seat opposite him.

Gilbert sat down, running his hand through his silver hair. "We're not going to leave while Lizzie's still injured, are we?" he asked.

Arthur grimaced. "It depends," he replied. "We can't afford to stay here much longer. The Docte temple is quite far away."

The Fortis nodded reluctantly. "But I don't want to cause her any additional pain, alright?"

"It's not up to me, really," Arthur scowled. "Go talk to her about it. Anyway, the plan is to leave sometime today; why don't you go check on her or something? Ask if she's up to it."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm off."

Arthur watched his retreating back. "Hmph," he said quietly, taking another sip.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Lizzie called eagerly. She was desperate for someone to talk to.

The door opened gently, a figure slipping in. Lizzie could see from the chink of light glinting off his hair that it was Gilbert.

"How are you?" he asked, going to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Bored," she retorted. "The stupid stab hurts just enough that I can't _do_ anything, but not enough to leave me incapacitated. I'm just stuck here!"

Gilbert cracked a grin. "Don't get soft," he warned teasingly. "We need your fighting skills out there. Of course, there's always me to replace you. I'm awesome like that."

Lizzie sat up straighter, eyes flashing. "Hey, I'm not soft," she protested angrily. "I could even leave today. Seriously!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Lizzie scowled at him, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "That's it, I'm out of here," she grunted, a flash of pain passing her face for a moment. And then she was standing; shakily, granted, but still standing.

"Whoa, don't overdo it," Gilbert said hastily, hurrying to her side. She brushed him off.

"Shut up. I can do this. Let's go see the others."

"Whatever you say," he shrugged. "You can lean on me if you want."

"As if," she snorted, taking the few steps to the door cautiously. _I've been blessed with fighting spirit,_ she thought fiercely. _I can do this._

Though her back protested with every step, she made it outside, Gilbert slowly following behind. She was still wearing her bloodstained sweatshirt from the previous day, and it was quite the sight. The entire back was stained almost black and red.

Lizzie gripped the door frame, breathing heavily. "See? Piece...piece of cake," she coughed.

"Yeah, right," Gilbert frowned. "You sure you're okay?"

Lizzie nodded resolutely. "Perfect." She made her way to the kitchen, only stopping to catch her breath twice.

Arthur was still sitting by himself, finishing up the tea, when Lizzie came staggering in. "L-Lizzie?" he said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Proving to an egotistical idiot that I'm not _soft_ ," she muttered through clenched teeth.

"Does this mean you'll be strong enough to leave today, do you think?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"Of course," she said proudly. "It's almost like it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Brilliant!" Arthur smiled. "Although you may want to get changed. No offense, but that shirt looks like you got stabbed in it."

Gilbert laughed despite himself.

Lizzie scowled at him. "Fine. I'm sorry I walked out in bloodstained clothes after getting impaled and had the gall to offend your eyes, Your Majesty." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Ah, there's the Elizabeta we all know and love," Arthur said dryly. "Alright, I'll alert Ludwig that we'll be heading out today. It's good to see you feeling better, Lizzie."

Arthur got to his feet and placed the kettle in the sink. He waved farewell and set off down one of the corridors.

Gilbert pulled Lizzie aside. "Are you actually ready, or was that an act?" he asked worriedly.

She took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to hold us all back. Help me back to my room so I can get changed, will you?"

Without another word, Gilbert wrapped her arm around his shoulders and helped her walk down to her room, where her pack had been left.

"I'm good from here. Thanks," she said shortly, closing the door in his face. She sank to the ground immediately after. "Shhhhhit," she hissed, drawing it out as long as she could.

* * *

About an hour later, everyone was gathered in the kitchen again. They had eaten as well as they could, and were all packed.

"Now that Lizzie is feeling better," Arthur said, nodding at her, "we can get going. Ludwig?"

"We're going to be heading back towards Procul," Ludwig explained. "We'll have to pass through the forest again. Now, we have a choice. We can take the slightly longer route, or the direct route."

"Direct, of course. Why is that even a choice?" Gilbert asked.

Ludwig seemed a bit flustered. "Well...the longer route would bring us through Viridi, Cana, Rubra. You know, the place where Antonio, Lovino, and Feliciano live."

"Oh! Let's go there!" Francis exclaimed. "I would love to see Toni again!"

There was a general consensus of nods.

"Alright," Ludwig muttered, writing something down on his notepad he carried everywhere. "So we'll divert our course to go there. Then, it will take at least a week to travel across the entire Fortis and Docte territories. There's a mountainous place that we should probably avoid along the border, and-"

"Wait," Francis interrupted. "I think...I think we should check out these mountains."

Arthur looked at him oddly. "Why? It's not like there's anything there."

"Just a hunch," Francis murmured. " _S'il vous plaît,_ can you at least give it a chance?"

"We'll see," Ludwig said skeptically. "But probably not, seeing as it's rather off-course. Anyway, past the border, it should be a straight trek to the Docte temple. We'll plot our next course of action there."

"Sounds good," Arthur said, standing up.

The others got up as well, a meeting adjourned.

They all met at the doors shortly after, Vash and Feliks included.

With the dispute over the mountains, Francis found himself thinking about Matthew yet again. "Vash," he blurted out suddenly. "Do you two have companions? I couldn't help but notice that there weren't any here."

Vash's face started to turn red with anger as Feliks' eyes widened and he shook his head wildly.

"I did," Vash spoke through gritted teeth. "Quite a while ago. Until this idiot-" he turned and glowered at Feliks, who looked extremely guilty for once- "decided to _mock_ the higher entities. Needless to say, we were relieved of our companions. We never got them back. That was a year ago, now." His voice faltered. "A whole year..."

Francis winced. "I am terribly sorry, _mon ami._ If it is any consolation, all six of us have also lost ours, as you can see. But there may be hope." He decided not to say anymore, lest anyone become suspicious.

They all stepped outside. Everyone's bags were packed, and there was a general feeling of relief in the air as the yawning entrance of the temple closed for good with a resounding _bang_ of the ornate doors.

Arthur shadowed Lili as she sidled up to her brother. Observing them fascinated him; he couldn't explain it, but something about siblings just being _siblings_ made him feel happy inside.

Lili and Vash shared one last hug.

"Be safe," he whispered in her ear as they parted. "I wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to you."

"I will, big brother," she said determinedly. "I'll make you proud!" She ran her fingers over the bandages on his shoulder. "Take care of this, okay? Make sure it heals properly."

"I will, don't worry," Vash smiled.

Arthur watched them, allowing a small smile to grace his features for a moment, and then stepped up, laying a hand on Lili's shoulder. "It's time to go," he said softly.

Lili nodded, wiping her face quickly, "Goodbye," she sniffed.

"Goodbye, Lili," Vash managed, struggling to keep his stoic exterior.

Meanwhile, the others were giving them some space, saying their farewells to Feliks.

"Have fun with your new job!" Francis beamed. "And _merci_ for the new clothes! You are truly a fashion expert."

Feliks smirked. "It's no problem. You guys were, like, a disaster. And I had too much stuff anyway."

Lizzie, who was leaning on Gilbert's shoulder for support again, smiled at him. "And thank you for accommodating us. It was a pleasure working with you two to achieve our goal."

Feliks shouldered his pack, flipping his hand in the air. "That was our job, after all." He hoisted up another bag. "Man, I sure wish I still had Pony. Then I wouldn't have to carry all this stuff myself."

Francis' heart clenched guiltily. _Soon,_ he repeated in his head like a mantra. _Soon. Soon._

With a last few goodbyes to the two, they set off back in the direction of Procul, the largest region, while Vash and Feliks went back off to Vitta, their small home village.

* * *

After a few uneventful hours of trekking through expansive grass fields, Lili brightened. "Oh! I know what we can do here!"

"Oh? What is it?" Arthur asked, looking around. "Just looks like grass to me."

"There's a cute little town over there," she said excitedly, pointing at a smudge on the horizon. "It's the perfect spot for a rest stop!"

"A rest stop would be appreciated," Lizzie chimed in, face a little pale. Gilbert had taken her pack from her, but she was still struggling.

"Ah, alright," Arthur shrugged. "Ludwig, how are we for time?"

"We can fit it in," Ludwig guessed, checking the map he was clutching. He checked the position of the sun. "As long as we're quick and orderly."

Francis adjusted the collar of his fancy shirt. "I think this is a good idea as well. Lead the way, Lili!"

Lili happily took the lead, bringing them to the new location. It took a while, but they finally reached it. Thankfully the heat wasn't too bad, and they were relatively comfortable for the walk.

Arthur looked around the small town in awe. "Wow, it's really bustling," he commented.

"It's a trading post for Bellators," Lili told him. "You can find many different things from the different sectors here."

"Cool!" Gilbert said excitedly. "Can we look around now that we're here, West?"

Ludwig sighed. "I suppose so. Be back here by noon, everyone, but until then, feel free to explore."

"Awesome!" Gilbert cheered as he dragged Ludwig to the right, Lizzie and Francis venturing to the left.

"Aiya..." a voice near them complained. "Are you foreigners always so loud?"

Lili looked behind them in surprise. "Oh, hello, Mr Yao," she greeted.

A man with brown, tied back hair regarded them wearily. "Hello, Lili. Brought friends to find some items, aru?"

"Yes," Lili said, nodding excitedly. "We're going to look around. What do you have today?"

Yao gestured to a table with some exotic looking items on it. "Priced as marked, aru. They're from the ruins near the Ocean of Doubt up north."

As Gilbert and Ludwig examined the artifacts, Lizzie and Francis moved on to look at some pretty pieces of coloured glass window another salesman was displaying.

"On a journey?" Yao asked Arthur, who was looking around apprehensively at the surprisingly large amount of people that had quickly crowded around the stalls.

"You could say that," Arthur agreed.

Yao sighed. "Take it from me. Not all journeys are all that great, aru. But you should see them to the finish."

"Yeah," Arthur muttered. He didn't really know why this enigmatic man was giving him advice, but hey, take it when it comes, right?

Yao bowed his head, suddenly looking far older than his appearance would suggest. "I've gone on many journeys. Not all of them paid off, aru. What is your goal?"

Arthur hesitated, deciding after a split second to tell him the truth. "Um, we're the goddess' heroes. We're going to defeat the Shadow God."

Yao raised an eyebrow. "So young for such a large task," he commented. "Do you know what is in store for you?"

Arthur nodded. "I know that the times ahead will be tough, but I think we can do it."

Yao gave a dry chuckle. "You young people think you know everything," he mused. "Very well, aru. Just...watch out for that one." He pointed through the crowds at Francis, who was admiring something with Lizzie, who was leaning on a post heavily.

"Watch out for him?" Arthur asked, puzzled. Heracles had said something similar as well...

Yao grimaced, seeming to regret his words. "Never mind."

Arthur shrugged and watched as Gilbert nearly dropped one of the items for sale, earning a harsh scolding from Ludwig.

Yao seemed to be considering something. Suddenly, he met Arthur's eyes, his gaze full of resolve. "I would like you to do me a favour," he said, tone indecipherable. "You will meet my little brother when you stop at the Omnes temple. When you see him...please give him this."

He handed a sharp-creased folded piece of paper with faint markings indicating a lengthy note. Arthur took it, sensing that it had been written and rewritten several times.

Shaking his head, Yao sighed. "Haa... I'll stop bothering you. Fare well, traveller. Remember what I have told you, aru."

He waved Arthur off as a customer engaged him in conversation.

Lili, who was standing near the stall, laughed. "He's kind of strange, but he knows a lot. Some say he's been all over Terra Deaeque."

Arthur shrugged, shoving the note in his pack for later. "Anyway, we can look around until...noon, was it? Come on, let's go."

They went off to look at a stall selling herbs.

* * *

Gilbert laughed, holding up a spinning glass bauble that shone when the sun's rays hit it. "Hey West, check it out! Can I get it?"

"Where would you keep it?" Ludwig commented dryly. "Save your money for practical things, brother."

"Fine, fine." Gilbert moved on to look at some strangely scented rocks, picking one up and examining it. "West?" he asked after a second, no longer looking at the trinkets but at the sky. "What is our true purpose?"

Ludwig looked up in surprise. "I suppose it is to end this meaningless feud, Gilbert. Surely you know that."

"Yeah," Gilbert sighed. "I just got to thinking, and well, this whole thing seems kind of petty. All the Goddesses are stuck up brats, no one has seen the Shadow God for years, and the Great Angel is weakening more and more every year. Why are we even continuing this war? It seems like we should just call the whole thing off."

Ludwig grimaced. "We don't exactly have the authority to do that, you know."

"Never mind," Gilbert said moodily. "I'm thinking to much. I should have known that there is only war, and never peace. There's always going to be conflict."

Ludwig patted him on the shoulder. "Relax, brother. In the grand scheme of things, we cannot change much. But we are trying to at least make an impact, and perhaps even make this world better for future generations."

"I guess," Gilbert conceded.

The merchant that was attending the stand they were at finally noticed them after finishing his haggling with another customer. "Hello, there, gents," he said with a heavy accent. "Could I interest you in these here stones of mine? Legend tells that if you breathe in their scent for too long, you start talking real smart-like. All philosophical. Ain't that a riot?"

Ludwig gave his brother a suspicious look before turning back to the man. "No thank you," he said politely. "Actually, we'd best be going now."

The man grinned. "Your loss, then! Happy hunting."

Ludwig practically dragged Gilbert away. "Let's go somewhere quiet."

Gilbert followed, uncharacteristically silent. Eventually, his pensive face cleared. "West? What were we doing again?"

"Nothing," Ludwig sighed. "Come on. Let's find something else to look at."

"Alright!" Gilbert followed him. "Hey West, do you ever wonder how Felix is doing? Your bear, I mean, not the person."

"Every day," Ludwig admitted. "I still have no idea how I could have lost him in our own building."

"He wasn't lost," Gilbert said darkly. "He was stolen. Like Kralle. Like all of them." He punched his fist into his hand. "When I find the one who did this, I'll-"

"Peace, brother," Ludwig sighed. "We will find them. We cannot go in thinking violence is the only solution. Strategy is key."

Gilbert laughed. "Typical West. Well, still. Whoever it was better watch out."

"I find it odd that it's been affecting others, too," Ludwig said thoughtfully. "When is the last time you saw someone with their companion beside them?"

Gilbert stuck out his tongue slightly, trying to think back. "Shit, I can't even remember. Wasn't it the Nordics? Or Feli and Lovino?"

"Exactly. It's very strange," Ludwig agreed. "In my opinion, it means something is being planned. We know the final battle is brewing, because we are taking steps to initiate it. But what if the enemy isn't as dormant as we thought? There is definitely a trend between these disappearances."

Gilbert was silent for a moment. "Then I guess it's up to us to make things right," he grinned eventually, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black windbreaker. "Are you ready, West? I sense a major ass-kicking on the horizon, and I plan to be front and centre."

Ludwig allowed himself a small smirk. "Of course, brother."

* * *

"Look at this!" Francis said delightedly, showing Lizzie a jewelled flower hair pin. The small, light-orange crystals glittered in the strong sunlight.

"It's pretty," she smiled, leaning on a post for support. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"How much?" Francis asked the merchant, taking out his personal wallet he had brought from home.

After negotiating with the merchant for a bit, he finally got to take the pin. "Here, this is for you!" he grinned, moving to pin it on the right side of Lizzie's hair. "It looks beautiful on you, _cher._ "

Lizzie looked up, surprised. "Oh! Thank you, Francis!" She lightly touched the delicate pin resting above her temple.

"It is no problem at all," Francis said airily. "Actually, I think I saw a _très mignon_ ribbon somewhere for Lili. Hers is getting rather tattered."

"What's up with the sudden generosity, Francis?" Lizzie asked, getting up to follow him. "Not that I'm complaining; I'm just curious."

"There is nothing wrong for doing something nice for a friend, _oui?_ " Francis smiled. "Do not worry. Besides, since we are here, we might as well make the most of it!"

"I suppose," Lizzie agreed, stumbling a bit. She quickly rightened herself, not wanting to appear weak in front of anyone, least of all him.

"What colour?" Francis asked her, standing in front of a table with several pretty ribbons laid out, shimmering in the sunlight.

Lizzie went to join him, regarding them all. "This one would suit her the most, I think," she said, pointing at one that was a deep blue-violet.

"Magnificent. I'll take that one," Francis told the keeper, paying him. He placed the ribbon in a small box and tucked it in his pack for when he next saw Lili.

"Should I get something for everyone?" he asked Lizzie. "I don't like leaving anyone out, and besides, this is fun!"

Lizzie smiled wryly. "Go ahead. I still don't understand why, but knock yourself out."

Francis moved on to the next table, which had several pins with different sparkling gems. "This one would go nicely with Arthur's dark exterior," he chuckled, picking out a forest-green one. "He could pin it to his chest. What do you think, Lizzie?"

"I agree," she nodded. "It matches the colour of his eyes, too."

"Sold!" Francis declared. After buying it and wrapping it in a soft cloth for later, he kept looking. "Now, what shall I buy for dear Ludwig?"

"He would probably want something practical," Lizzie suggested.

Francis hummed in agreement, examining a table with some odd trinkets. "Excuse me, sir, what are these?" he asked politely.

"These are some fancy new devices, lad," the man explained. "Depending on where the sun is, it will tell ya the time o' day. Now isn't that useful!"

"Oooh, very," Francis beamed. "I'll take one."

With that safely packed away, he began browsing the gem pins again. "Look!" he exclaimed, gesturing at a collection of three bundled together. One was a pretty olive green, one a deep ruby red, and the last a sparkling sapphire blue.

"What's so special about them?" Lizzie asked.

Francis smiled. "Ah, I think I'm going to get them. It fits." He bought them and wrapped them up as well. "Well, that is everyone! Phew, shopping is so much fun. What would you like to do now, Lizzie?"

Lizzie looked up at the sky. "Well, it's almost noon. Want to stop for a quick drink of water somewhere and head back to the meeting spot?"

"Sounds great!" Francis smiled. "Come, I shall help you." He moved to support her.

"Thanks," she sighed. He matched her stride as she hobbled to the nearest building, which had a sign proclaiming fresh water being provided there.

* * *

Arthur nervously ran his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time. He felt under-dressed with only a short sleeved shirt and no cloak, but he knew it was too hot for that kind of apparel. Honestly, he didn't care too much, but as long as he kept his mind on frivolous things like clothes, it distracted him from the true gravity of the situation staring them in the face. And then there was what both Heracles and Yao had said. Everything was blending together and mixing in his mind, making it hard to concentrate on any one thing.

"Are you okay, Arthur?" Lili asked. "You're sighing a lot."

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine," Arthur said dismissively.

Lili gave him a slightly disbelieving look, but let it slide. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really." All he wanted right now was a shady place to sit, if he was going to be truthful. He never really liked crowds or shiny baubles for sale.

"Do you want to take a break, then?" she asked, seemingly reading his mind. "Here." She took his hand and pulled him to a secluded corner where people weren't crowded. "Let's rest here for a second."

"Thanks," he muttered, pressing his hands to his eyes until he saw red behind his lids. "I just need a minute to calm down. Sorry."

"It's completely fine," she assured. "By the way, I never got to properly thank you for saving me in the forest on that day. I would probably still be there, starving to death, if it weren't for you. So, thank you."

"It was nothing," Arthur murmured. "I couldn't just leave someone to die alone."

"I guess it was fortunate in the end," Lili giggled. She pulled at the sleeves of her magenta shirt. "W-when I first saw you, I thought I had already died from hitting my head," she said shyly. "You were very intimidating. But then you brought me to a safe place, and I met all of you, and you've all been nothing but nice."

Arthur managed a smile. "I'm glad you feel that way. Sorry for being so gruff with you when we first met. I'm not very good with strangers."

"Don't worry. I understand," Lili said softly. She looked up at the bright blue sky. "I already miss my big brother. Do you have anyone you miss, Arthur?"

Arthur's throat tightened. "Yes, you could say that."

"Who?" she asked. "If you don't mind telling me, that is."

"No, it's fine," he said reluctantly. "When I was younger, I had a brother named Alfred. He...well, he died. I've missed him for quite a long time."

"Oh, that's horrible!" Lili gasped. "What happened?!"

Arthur debated not telling her. But he had been holding in the story for so long, that he couldn't keep it back any longer. "You know the land that borders Domum?" he asked. "It had a name before. Now it's just called Tragoedia." A bitter laugh was forced from his throat. "Aptly named after a shadow army ran through it and massacred the entire population. Including Alfred."

Lili was looking at him with what looked like pity. Goddesses, how he hated pity. This is why he avoided telling anyone.

"Don't say anything," he said abruptly. "It was a long time ago. I'm over it now."

"No one really gets over the death of a loved one," Lili said softly. "You may move on, and you may continue life as normal, but we always carry that burden with us. That's not always a bad thing, though. It reminds us to keep going, because they wouldn't want us to stop just because they can't anymore. Of course, that doesn't mean it's not okay to grieve. You can cry for them."

Arthur bowed his head. No one was there to comfort him after his entire family had died. No one had ever treated him with anything other than annoyance after that time. Lili's words were new. And they struck him, hard. Unknowingly, a few tears escaped his eyes and dripped to the ground, followed by more. He sat there and cried. He cried for his parents, for Alfred, and for his lost childhood. But mostly, he cried out all his pent up feelings from ten years worth of tragedy.

Lili leaned up against him and stayed silent as he sobbed.

* * *

It was noon. Ludwig, impeccably punctual as always, and Gilbert, who was tagging along with him, were both at the meeting place. No one else was, of course.

"Is it impossible for anyone to be on time?" Ludwig asked dryly. "Maybe I should start telling them that the meeting time is earlier. So when they come late, it will actually be on time."

"That probably wouldn't work either, West," Gilbert laughed. "Face it, they're always going to mess something up. Just wait patiently, and they'll come."

True to his word, soon enough, Francis and Lizzie came into sight. Francis had a noticeable spring in his step, while Lizzie was quite the opposite.

"Sorry we're late," Francis said airily. "But we had the most wonderful time, didn't we, Lizzie?"

"If you define watching two people get into a bar fight over _water_ as wonderful, then sure."

"It was funny," Francis smirked. "Anyway, are we ready to leave? Where are Lili and Arthur?"

"Not back yet," Ludwig said through clenched teeth. "We do I even bother keeping a schedule?"

Finally, Arthur and Lili came trudging back. Arthur was silent and refused to look anyone in the face. Lili offered an apologetic smile and excuse. No one questioned them further, though Francis could have sworn he detected tear tracks on Arthur's face.

"Next stop, Viridi, Cana, Rubra," he announced. "We just have to go through the forest a little ways ahead of here. Once we get through, we should be right at the village."

"Sounds good," Gilbert said happily. "I can't wait to see Toni again. The Bad Touch Trio will be reunited!" He hi-fived Francis.

He then elbowed Ludwig. "And I bet West can't wait to see Feli again, eh?"

Ludwig scowled, face a bit pink. "I never said that."

"You don't have to! The fact that you would ever even _dare_ change your precious course means plenty!" Gilbert snickered. He scampered ahead of Ludwig's retaliation. "Too slow!"

Arthur hung in the back, listening to their antics. Lizzie was close to him, breathing laboured, as she limped along. "Do you need help?" he asked her.  
"No," she replied through gritted teeth. "Don't treat me like an invalid."

"You know, it's okay to ask for help," he said hesitantly.

"Coming from you, that's rich," she snorted. "Fine. Can I lean on you for a second while I catch my breath?"

She grasped his shoulder and rotated her own a few times, wincing as they stretched the skin on her back. She mostly kept in all her emotions, though.  
"I'm good. Let's keep going," she said after a few more seconds. They set off again to catch up with the rest of the group. "Hey, Arthur?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking down at the grass waving about.

"Were you crying?" she asked bluntly. "Your eyes are kind of red and puffy."

Arthur frowned. "It doesn't matter. Lili and I had a talk, and it was really emotional, I guess. It's nothing important."

"If you say so," Lizzie hummed. "Hey, Francis has something for you later, okay? Go ask him about it when you have the time."

"Sure," Arthur mumbled, placated for the moment.

The sun had already dropped quite low, staining the sky orange and pink, before Ludwig called for a halt. "We'll stop here for the night," he said. "We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Gilbert and I stocked up on as much supplies as we could in that town, so we should be okay for the journey."

"Alright," Francis said, rummaging through some of the packs. "It better not be disgusting ration food again... _merde!_ Why do we let _you_ two do the food shopping?!"

"Be happy with what you have, Bonnefoy. It's better than starving," Ludwig said darkly. "Now all of you eat and go to sleep. We have a long couple of days ahead of us."


End file.
